Virginia lawmakers advance recreational marijuana bill, but start date remains hazy

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A recreational marijuana market could launch in Virginia as early as this fall, but Democrats remain split on key details of the legislation after five years of failed attempts under a Republican governor.

House Bill 642 would set the framework for a recreational market, nearly five years after the medical market opened up. Lawmakers are looking to set a November 1 start date, but some worry the quick turnaround would only benefit the already established medical sellers.

The November 1 date also coincides with when THCA, a hemp product currently sold in stores, becomes illegal under a federal decision. David Treccariche, who sells THCA at his Skooma store in Charlottesville, said he hopes the transition happens smoothly.

“Hopefully as the THCA ship is sinking, we can jump on to the recreational marijuana ship,” Treccariche said. “There’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of dates that are still not even solidified. It’s a very aggressive timeline. We hope we stick to it.”

Barbara Biddle, president of the Cannabis Small Business Association, wants to delay the November launch to May 2027.

“If we start the market too soon, it’s going to be very hard to correct any issues that we find once this legislation is passed,” Biddle said. “We understand the necessity of getting an adult use market, but we just wanted to make sure that the date made sense as far as the supply chain is concerned.”

JM Pedini, Executive Director of NORML Virginia and Development Director of NORML, said lawmakers are still working through key issues.

“We’re about at the halfway point. There remains a lot of contention around the date that these sales can begin and some differing opinions as to where the tax revenue will be allocated,” Pedini said.

Lawmakers are considering licensing fees ranging from $4 million to $20 million for established medical sellers. The legislation could create about 350 individual store licenses.

Treccariche said taxing the largest firms could help small businesses compete with Virginia’s five existing medical marijuana companies.

“Right now, there’s five medical markets in Virginia that all have a monopoly. So the hope is that they’re not just going to continue their monopoly as recreational goes legal,” Treccariche said.

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