Virginia House lawmakers have approved a bill to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana sales—one of several cannabis reform proposals under consideration in the 2026 session.
After companion versions of the legislation advanced through a House subcommittee and a Senate committee last week, the full House General Laws Committee passed the measure from Del. Paul Krizek (D) l in a 19-2 vote on Tuesday. It next heads to the Appropriations Committee before it will potentially reach the floor.
Del. Adele McClure (D), chair of the subcommittee, said at the full panel hearing that the proposal “establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis in the Commonwealth of Virginia, including rules for a retail market, penalties for violations, and programs to address past harms for from prohibition.”
She also briefly described changes to the bill included in a substitute version the panel approved, stating that it “increases the penalties for any illegal sales of marijuana and changes to the makeup of the board of directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.”
The bill largely aligns with recommendations released last month by the legislature’s Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market.
Since legalizing cannabis possession and
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