(VIRGINIA MERCURY) – Five years after Virginia legalized simple adult possession of marijuana, lawmakers are at an impasse over how to finally stand up a legal retail market, after the General Assembly last week rejected more than 40 changes proposed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger and sent the legislation back to her desk.

The move leaves Spanberger with a binary choice: sign a long-debated proposal to launch retail sales or veto it and prolong a yearslong stalemate that has left Virginia in a legal gray area, where cannabis is allowed to be possessed, but not legally purchased.

The governor’s substitute, which frustrated many lawmakers and stakeholders, would delay the start of retail sales to July 1, 2027, while restructuring much of the framework lawmakers had negotiated during the session.

“Five years ago, the commonwealth took the first steps to legalize marijuana — and for five years, the work sat unfinished,” Spanberger said in a statement.

“We are working to set up a marketplace that is controlled, regulated, and responsible — because legal markets only succeed when there are clear guardrails and enforcement to back it up.”

Under her proposal, regulators would begin accepting license applications by Sept. 1, 2026, with various licenses issued in early 2027 ahead of the planned launch.

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