Virginia started down the road to legalizing marijuana. But the destination remains out of sight.
Virginia legalized possession of marijuana in small amounts back in 2021. But nobody has a license to sell it because the General Assembly has failed to create a licensing structure. Now, one of Glenn Youngkin’s key officials says the governor is not interested.
Dylan Bishop used to lobby for businesses that wanted to sell marijuana products, but he says those businesses have either moved out of state or redirected to focus on compliance.
"We either need to re-criminalize marijuana, which frankly I don't think is in the cards," Bishop says. "Or, we need to continue what we started so that we can guarantee that Virginians are not exposed to an inherently criminal element in procuring these substances and that Virginians are getting safe, accurately dosed and non-tainted products."
JM Pedini at Virginia NORML says there is a way to fix this problem without issuing new licenses.
"Even if Governor Youngkin isn't ready for a comprehensive bill to license new cannabis dispensaries, he really ought to look at at least allowing adults 21 and older to begin purchasing adult-use products at the already open, medical dispensaries," Pedini says.
Pedini says Maryland is a great example. They recently made marijuana legal, and customers can now go to dispensaries to get it.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
