(The Center Square) – Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed legislation that would have created Virginia’s retail marijuana market, extending a years-long debate over how the commonwealth should regulate cannabis sales.
The veto blocks House Bill 642 and Senate Bill 542, legislation backed by Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, and Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax County, to establish legal retail cannabis sales in Virginia.
Spanberger said she supports eventually creating a legal cannabis market, but said Virginia still lacks the regulatory structure and enforcement tools needed to launch retail sales safely.
“Virginians deserve a system that replaces the illicit cannabis market with one that prioritizes our children’s health and safety, public safety, product integrity, and accountability,” Spanberger wrote in her veto explanation.
She said Virginia needs stronger testing standards, inspections, compliance systems and enforcement authority before retail sales move forward.
“As Virginia pursues a legal retail market, it is critical that we incorporate lessons learned by other states and ensure that our regulatory framework is fully prepared to provide strong oversight from day one,” she wrote.
The veto quickly drew backlash from Aird and Krizek, who argued Virginia already has an active marijuana market operating without consumer protections or state oversight.
“The governor’s veto ignores the reality that cannabis is already being sold every day across Virginia,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement Tuesday. “The only question is whether we as leaders will finally ensure those sales occur within a legal, regulated market or continue turning a blind eye to a booming illicit market.”
Aird said the decision leaves Virginia “exactly where we have been since 2021: with an unchecked illicit market, hurting our communities, harming our youth and putting adults at risk.”
The legislation also became part of broader conversations Tuesday about Virginia’s economy, jobs and ongoing budget negotiations.
During a committee discussion, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell cited JLARC estimates suggesting a legal cannabis industry could eventually support between 11,000 and 18,000 jobs statewide.
Administration officials pushed back on the financial impact.
Secretary of Finance Mark Sickles told lawmakers the proposed cannabis excise tax would generate about $7.4 million in the first year and roughly $17.6 million in the second year.
“That is not real money in our budget,” Sickles said. “It’s so low, it would not even make any chart that I ever showed you.”
Before issuing the veto, Spanberger had proposed several changes to the legislation, including delaying implementation, reducing the number of retail stores statewide and increasing certain criminal penalties tied to marijuana offenses.
One proposed amendment would have made transporting more than 50 pounds of marijuana across state lines a Class 2 felony, drawing criticism from some Democrats who argued the proposal conflicted with the original intent of legalization.
Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed similar retail marijuana legislation in 2024 and 2025, leaving Virginia among the few states where marijuana possession is legal but retail sales remain prohibited.
