“Less than a year from now, you’ll be able to legally buy cannabis products for adult use, recreational, throughout Virginia.”
By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury
Five years after Virginia legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana but failed to create a way for people to legally buy it, state lawmakers last week approved legislation establishing a regulated retail market for adult-use cannabis, potentially ending years of uncertainty over how cannabis could be legally bought and sold in the state.
Late Friday, the Senate approved the conference committee compromise on House Bill 642 by a 21–18 party-line vote. The House of Delegates followed on Saturday, the final day of the 2026 General Assembly session, passing the measure 64–32 and sending it to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk.
If the Democrat signs it—as she said she would during an interview with The Mercury last summer—the bill would allow Virginians 21 and older to legally purchase cannabis beginning January 1, 2027.
The vote marks a significant shift after years of failed efforts, after legislators legalized adults possessing up to an ounce of weed in 2021, and allowed people to grow up to four plants at home. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin repeatedly vetoed legislation that
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