ROANOKE, Va. – Lots of bills are on Governor Abigail Spanberger’s desk — including one dealing with marijuana.
The proposal would create an adult-use cannabis retail market by January 2027. In the bill, lawmakers adopted a flat tax rate of 6% and are allowing localities to adopt a tax rate between 1 and 3.5 percent. 40 percent of that revenue goes towards early childhood and education.
Buffalo Hemp’s Owner Derek Wall sells CBD and says this bill could open the door to cannabis sales in 2027.
“I think a lot of folks like myself that have been in the hemp industry for six, seven years have had a goal to segue into the retail cannabis market,” said Wall. “We’ve had two bills in the last two years be vetoed by Governor Young, and so I think we’re finally at the at the point where our hopes may come true of segueing into a cannabis retail dispensary or a grow operation, whatever one’s business might want to do.”
Senator Lashrecse Aird, who introduced the bill, also said that 40% of the money goes towards the Cannabis Reinvestment Fund. This fund is geared towards both the impact licensees and small businesses to allow for a really balanced marketplace of all sizes.
“For many years, nearly five years, we have allowed for the possession of cannabis, adult use cannabis, but we did not give consumers an option of where to purchase. And so it felt like too many that the Commonwealth left them in limbo, or operating in a gray space. This legislation not only sets a clear structure for now purchase of adult-use cannabis, but from a health and safety standpoint, we finally have the ability to crack down on the illicit market,” said Sen. Aird.
Wall said this would really help people navigate the industry.
“So, I think with a cannabis legislation that’s, you know, cut and dry, where the rules and the milligrams and all these types of things are set in stone, will allow foresight for years,” said Wall. “They also identified 40 percent of that money going towards the Cannabis Reinvestment Fund.”
Not everyone thinks this should be a law, though.
10 News spoke with The Family Foundation’s Vice President of Government Relations, Todd Gathje.
“Virginians cannot afford to have more emergency costs. They cannot afford to have more social service programs to help those who are struggling with addictions. They can’t afford to have minors being more desensitized to drug availability on the streets,” said Gathje.
Smart Approaches to Marijuana’s Executive Vice President Luke Niforatos echoes these sentiments.
“When you look at other states that have legalized marijuana, they have created a whole new industry that looks just like Big Tobacco. They are hurting public health. They’re hurting kids. There’s more addiction. There’s deaths on the roads from people who are smoking marijuana and driving. So there are a lot of issues that come with the legalization. So this is not a good policy for Virginia,” said Niforatos.
Senator Aird has this message for people who are opposed to the bill.
“For individuals that don’t support adult use of cannabis, whether they like it or not, it’s happening right now in their communities. And I think if you want to ensure that individuals under the age of 21 are safe, individuals that choose to make the decision to participate in consuming, you would want that to be done so safely,” said Aird.