When Democrats officially retake full control of the Virginia General Assembly in January, newly sworn-in lawmakers will take with them to Richmond renewed hopes the first state in the South to legalize marijuana possession can finally launch an adult-use market that is projected to top $1 billion in sales within a few years.
But one very difficult obstacle remains: Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is said to have national political ambitions and zero interest in setting up a legal marketplace.
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In the state’s brief legislative session last winter and spring, Youngkin blocked legislation that could have launched legal adult-use cultivation and sales in summer 2024.
But in a rebuke to Youngkin’s broader agenda, including a strict abortion-restriction proposal, Democrats retained control of the state Senate and retook the House of Delegates in November.
However, Democrats’ razor-thin, veto-vulnerable majorities in both Assembly chambers mean the future of
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