Virginia is Expected to Launch Retail Marijuana Market in 2026
With the election of Democrat Abigail Spanberger as Virginia’s next governor and Democrats holding control of both houses of the General Assembly, the state is likely to establish a retail marijuana market in 2026. Although recreational use and possession of marijuana have been legal for adults over 21 since 2021, there has been no retail market in place due to repeated vetoes by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
However, with Spanberger set to take office in January, the landscape is expected to change. During her campaign, Spanberger expressed support for the legislature’s efforts to move marijuana sales from the black market to licensed retailers. This clears the way for the legalization of adult-use retail sales in the 2026 General Assembly, according to JM Pedini, Development Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
NORML has been advocating for the legalization of retail marijuana sales in Virginia for years and expects the General Assembly’s Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market to introduce a bill in 2026 that would allow the sale of marijuana for recreational use. If the bill passes and is signed into law, retail marijuana sales could begin as early as July in dispensaries that currently only sell medical marijuana.
