A top Democratic Virginia senator says the state should move forward with legalizing recreational marijuana sales—in part to offset the Trump administration’s cuts to federal spending in support of states.
While the legislature has twice passed bills to create a regulated commercial cannabis market after the state legalized possession and use by adults in 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed both proposals.
But with anticipated increases in spending in Virginia resulting from various federal policy initiatives such as the withdrawal of federal welfare dollars to states, Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas (D) said it’s time to get serious about alternative revenue, which should include legalizing marijuana sales.
“We have an inescapable responsibility to generate and create a long-term and sustainable source of revenue to safeguard core programs and services,” Lucas told Virginia Public Radio.
Del. Paul Krizek (D), chair of a joint commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on creating a cannabis market, said lawmakers’ “top priority is making sure that we’re not setting people up to fail and that we’re that we have good strict oversight mechanisms, and there’s phased expansion.”
“But we’ll get it going as soon as judiciously possible,” he said.
Krizek’s panel held its
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