Virginia Passes Marijuana Measures, Awaits Gov. Youngkin's Approval

Virginia lawmakers have sent marijuana measures to Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) for review recently.

A measure from Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D) that would make it legal for public-sector employees to use medical cannabis without fear of losing their jobs except law enforcement officers got the green light from the Virginia House of Delegates' members on Friday, in 80-18 vote. The legislation is now heading to the governor’s desk.

"No employer shall discharge, discipline, or discriminate against an employee for such employee's lawful use of cannabis oil under the laws of the Commonwealth pursuant to a valid written certification issued by a practitioner for the treatment or to eliminate the symptoms of the employee's diagnosed condition or disease," SB 391 stipulates.

A separate measure – HB 149 from Del. Dan Helmer (D) – that would do the same was approved in the Senate on Tuesday, in a 26-13 following amendments that sought to align it with the Senate version.

What About Rec Sales?

In the meantime, both chambers gave final approval to a push that would regulate sales of recreational marijuana in the Commonwealth on Wednesday.

Both HB 698 from Del. Paul Krizek (D) and SB 448 from Sen. Aaron R. Rouse (D), were passed with only one Republican voting in favor of final passage in both chambers. The next stop is Gov. Youngkin's desk.

The two lawmakers behind competing bills that will set up marijuana sales in Virginia previously came to an agreement that all retailers could be allowed to get into the cannabis business by March 1, 2025. However, the latest version of SB 448 has pushed the sales launch date to no earlier than May 1, 2025.

For his part, Gov. Youngkin doesn't seem particularly interested in the matter.

“I’ve said before, this is an area that I really don’t have any interest in,” Youngkin told reporters earlier this year when asked about his support for opening od a retail market for recreational sales. “What I want us to work on are areas that we can find a meeting of the mind and press forward for the betterment of Virginia.”

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is returning to Florida, in a new venue in Hollywood, on April 16 and 17, 2024. The two-day event at The Diplomat Beach Resort will be a chance for entrepreneurs, both large and small, to network, learn and grow. Renowned for its trendsetting abilities and influence on the future of cannabis, mark your calendars – this conference is the go-to event of the year for the cannabis world.

Get your tickets now on bzcannabis.com – Prices will increase very soon!