Virginia will allow the sale of recreational marijuana in stores starting on July 1, 2027, under a commonwealth budget that goes into effect Wednesday.
Adults have been allowed to possess marijuana legally since 2021. The budget, in place between Wednesday and June 30, 2028, will increase the legal possession limit for adults from 1 ounce to 2 ounces, the office of Gov. Abigail Spanberger said earlier this month.
The maximum serving size of recreational marijuana products will be capped at 10 milligrams of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, per piece. Each package will be capped at 100 milligrams of THC total, according to cannabis industry news site Marijuana Moment.
The budget will let the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority issue up to 350 retail licenses. The agency will start accepting license applications on Feb. 1, 2027, the governor’s office said.
Businesses that have licenses to sell medical marijuana in Virginia will be able to pay a $10 million fee to convert their license to let them also sell cannabis recreationally, according to Marijuana Moment.
Initially, a 6% tax will be imposed on marijuana sales as the commonwealth goes from an illegal, illicit marijuana market to legal sale. After July 1, 2029, the tax will go up to 8%. In addition, local governments will be able to impose an additional tax between 1% and 3.5%, the governor’s office said.
Revenues generated by taxing marijuana sales will go toward education, substance abuse disorder programs and public health.
Some money will also go to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund established in 2021, “designed to expand opportunity, strengthen economic mobility, and help address longstanding disparities in communities historically and disproportionately targeted and affected by over-policing,” the governor’s office said.
The budget also strengthens the Cannabis Control Authority’s regulatory power, giving it jurisdiction over industrial intoxicating hemp, which is regulated by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
To protect children, cartoon ads for marijuana are prohibited, child-safe packaging is required, and stores will be barred from selling products “in the shape of animals, fruits, vehicles, or humans,” the governor’s office said.
Establishments that fail to do proper identification checks before sales will be subject to an increasing scale of penalties, including license revocation. Stores will also have to be at least 1,000 feet away from hospitals, playgrounds, rehab facilities and schools, the governor’s office said.
For users, the fine for public consumption of marijuana will increase from $25 to $250 starting on July 1, 2027, according to Marijuana Moment.
