Virginia: Market and regulatory data analysis of the cannabis sector

2nd April 2024: US - Virginia: Virginia’s Republican governor vetoed House Bill (HB) 698 and Senate Bill (SB) 448, which would have finally legalised adult-use cannabis sales in the state. Governor Glenn Youngkin wrote in a veto message that “the proposed legalisation of retail marijuana in the Commonwealth endangers Virginians’ health and safety”. He also said that “states following this path have seen adverse effects on children’s and adolescents’ health and safety, increased gang activity and violent crime, significant deterioration in mental health, decreased road safety, and significant costs associated with retail marijuana that far exceed tax revenue”.
29th February 2024: US - Virginia: Both chambers of the state legislature have passed House Bill (HB) 698 and Senate Bill (SB) 448 that would allow retail sales of recreational cannabis beginning in 2025. According to the bills, licences would begin to be issued on 1st September 2024, but no retail sales may occur prior to 1st May 2025. Each chamber signed off on the competing bills approved in the opposite chamber, sending them to the governor’s desk.
28th February 2024: US - Virginia: House Bill (HB) 815 has been passed by the Senate and now heads to the governor. HB 815 would amend parts of the state's medical cannabis statute, including by extending the expiry date of cannabis products from 6 months to 12 months and regulating the confidentiality of investigations and disciplinary proceedings by authorities.
21st February 2024: US - Virginia: Sponsors of two competing bills to begin the sale of recreational cannabis in the state have come to an agreement over when and how sales should begin, press reports. The two sides have reportedly agreed that both medical cannabis dispensaries and newly created recreational cannabis dispensaries would begin sales at the same time – 1st March 2025. One of the bills called for medical cannabis dispensaries to be allowed to begin sales before new recreational ones beginning this July, but concerns over new recreational dispensaries having a disadvantage spurred a compromise.
15th February 2024: US - Virginia: House Bill (HB) 815 has been passed by the House and now heads to the Senate. HB 815 would amend parts of the state’s medical cannabis statute, including by extending the expiry date of cannabis products from 6 months to 12 months and regulating the confidentiality of investigations and disciplinary proceedings by authorities.
13th February 2024: US - Virginia: Both chambers of the state legislature have agreed in principle to legislation that would allow retail sales of recreational cannabis beginning in 2025, though the respective pieces of legislation have significant differences. The House has passed House Bill (HB) 698, while the Senate has agreed on Senate Bill (SB) 448 with the final plenary vote pending. The competing bills will need to be reconciled before being sent to the governor.
2nd November 2023: US - Virginia: A federal judge has denied an injunction against Virginia authorities that would have prevented them from enforcing a new law that restricts the amount of THC allowed in hemp products. Enacted in April, Senate Bill (SB) 903 includes all forms of THC in its 0.3% threshold for hemp products and caps the total amount of THC that hemp products can contain at either a maximum of 2 mg of total THC per package or an amount of CBD at least 25 times greater than the total amount of THC. Hemp industry members sued authorities to prevent the enforcement of SB 903, but with the denial of the injunction the new law may be enforced while the lawsuit is litigated.
8th September 2023: US - Virginia: A federal lawsuit has been filed by stakeholders to challenge Senate Bill (SB) 903, which was signed into law in April and restricts the amount of THC that may be contained in hemp products, press reports. The lawsuit contends that SB903 violates federal law by setting tighter restrictions on hemp than federal law and by interfering with interstate commerce. SB903 includes all THC isomers in its THC calculation for hemp and limits the concentration to either up to 2 mg of total THC per package or an amount of CBD at least 25 times greater than the total amount of THC.
17th April 2023: US - Virginia: Senate Bill (SB) 788 has been signed by the governor and enacted into law. SB 788 proposes several changes to the medical cannabis programme, including switching oversight from the Board of Pharmacy to the Cannabis Control Authority and revising requirements for issuing medical cannabis certificates and processing medical cannabis.
17th April 2023: US - Virginia: House Bill (HB) 2368 has been signed by the governor and enacted into law. HB 2368 will strengthen regulations on labelling, certifications and reporting of medical cannabis products.
14th April 2023: US - Virginia: Senate Bill (SB) 903 has been signed by the governor and enacted into law. The bill will amend the state's hemp laws in several ways, including adding all THC isomers in its THC calculation for hemp and setting the maximum THC limit at either up to 2 mg of total THC per package or an amount of CBD at least 25 times greater than the total amount of THC. SB 903 also bans synthetic THC derivatives and allows the Board of Pharmacy to schedule, deschedule, or reschedule a THC isomer, except delta-9. It also adds testing, labelling and packaging requirements for hemp products.

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