Lawmakers look at bringing recreational cannabis shops to Virginia
December 2, 2025
Lawmakers look at bringing recreational cannabis shops to Virginia
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has already said she’s on board with a retail cannabis marketplace, so it appears next year might finally be the year it happens after several years of work and failed attempts.
A commission of state lawmakers shared updates to a plan to bring brick-and-mortar cannabis shops to Virginia. News4’s Drew Wilder reports.
Inside medicinal marijuana grow facilities, Virginia has been preparing and scaling for recreational cannabis use for years.
It appears the Commonwealth is now just months away from recreational adult use and the pop-up of retail cannabis stores, with a target date of stores opening November 2026.
WATCH HERE“It builds a new market that supports hundreds of small businesses and strengthens Virginia agriculture, reduces the racial disparities created by the prohibition of marijuana and most importantly protects public safety and health,” said Del. Paul Krizek of Fairfax County.
A commission of state lawmakers shared updates to the plan Tuesday to bring brick-and-mortar cannabis shops to Virginia.
It’s not a done deal, and everything presented is only a suggestion But some of the big takeaways include licensing restrictions that aim to prevent big companies from monopolizing the market, hoping to make the growing and selling equitable and accessible for small business owners, too.
Licensing and regulation would be done by a new state entity called the Cannabis Control Authority (CCA), similar to how the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority oversees alcohol.
Some worry next November is too soon for the CCA to prevent the big medicinal businesses, which are already up and running, from taking over the industry.
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Another major change from past proposals would prevent so-called dry counties. A cannabis shop could open anywhere, and localities couldn’t prevent them from opening if they’re licensed.
Lawmakers estimate legalizing adult recreational use will bring in about $400 million in new tax revenue each year while supporting hundreds of new small businesses. There’s still a lot of debate ahead about how the money will be used and allocated.
There will be restrictions on how close cannabis stores can be to each other and prevent them within 1,000 feet of schools, places of worship, playgrounds and other similar establishments.
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has already said she’s on board with a retail cannabis marketplace, so it appears next year might finally be the year it happens after several years of work and failed attempts.
While lawmakers are still ironing out the details, they’re already looking at what’s next. There are proposals to study the option of direct-to-consumer marijuana delivery services, on-site consumption licenses for special events and even the possibility of farmer’s market-type sales.
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