RICHMOND, VA—Last month, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger showed real courage by vetoing legislation that would have legalized commercial marijuana in Virginia. While we commended the Governor’s veto and her public statements on the negative impact of commercial marijuana on public health, we are disappointed that she agreed to include commercial legalization in this year’s budget.
“While the Governor secured slightly more stringent regulatory concessions in the final text, the overall bill remains disastrous for Virginians,” said SAM CEO Dr. Kevin A. Sabet. “In the end, the industry secured many of its key asks, including a prohibition on local communities opting out of sales and the absence of a potency cap. We call on Gov. Spanberger and the General Assembly to reverse course before June 30 and refuse to write Big Marijuana’s business plan into the state budget. SAM and Virginia’s families will be watching every line of it.”