Details about a proposed compromise bill to legalize retail cannabis in Virginia are beginning to emerge ahead of a planned negotiation session set for Thursday.
While not yet final, the compromise offer—meant to bridge gaps between two competing measures passed last week by the House and Senate—would eliminate provisions in the current House bill that would allow some businesses to launch sales earlier than others while also slightly pushing back the timeline for when the recreational market would open.
Del. Paul Krizek (D), the lead sponsor of HB 698, confirmed some details of the proposed compromise to Marijuana Moment via email on Wednesday.
Under the revised plan, Krizek said, retailers would be able to open for business as soon as March 1 of next year—a slight delay compared to his current bill, which would let existing medical marijuana operators, five hemp businesses and up to 60 microbusinesses start sales on January 1, 2025. Under that plan, additional retailers wouldn’t be licensed until later in the year.
Another topic expected to be taken up during Thursday’s closed-door negotiations include social equity. In the current House bill, an accelerator program would provide $400,000 in startup capital to dozens of equity-focused microbusinesses. Existing
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