Despite Governor Glenn Youngkin’s veto of a bill to establish a legal retail market for marijuana, lawmakers are planning to reintroduce the legislation. The bill, sponsored by Delegate Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, aims to create a legal market for the sale of small amounts of marijuana, similar to the decriminalization bill passed in 2021.
The bill would allow individuals to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and would cap the number of stores that could operate in Virginia at 350. It would also impose a tax of 8% on marijuana sales, with localities having the option to add an additional 2.5% tax.
Krizek hopes that Youngkin will change his mind about the bill, which he vetoed last year citing concerns about the health and safety risks associated with marijuana use. Youngkin argued that states that have legalized retail marijuana have seen an increase in children’s and teenagers’ health problems, as well as more gang activity and violent crime.
However, Krizek believes that the illegal market for marijuana is a bigger problem, and that legalizing the sale of small amounts of marijuana would help to eliminate the illegal market and ensure product safety.
The bill would also require licensed stores to report their sales and would establish a seed-to-sale tracking system to ensure that marijuana is not diverted from the legal market. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would be responsible for regulating the industry and setting standards for product safety.
Youngkin’s press secretary, Christian Martinez, said that the governor’s position on the bill has not changed, and that he believes that the proposed legalization of retail marijuana endangers Virginians’ health and safety.
The debate over marijuana legalization is ongoing in Virginia, with some arguing that it would help to reduce crime and increase revenue for the state, while others believe that it would pose health and safety risks to individuals and communities.
