On Saturday, the Virginia Legislature voted to legalize adult-use marijuana, becoming the first Southern state to legalize. Virginia is the 16th state to fully legalize marijuana for all adults and only the third to do through it’s state legislature rather than a voter referendum. Illinois and Vermont also passed legalization through their state legislatures.
The measure was passed in the House by a 48-43 vote, and the Senate voted 20-19 for approval. No Virginia Republican voted in favor of the bill in either chamber. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who has been advocating for legalization as a racial justice issue, is expected to sign the bill into law.
Virginia decriminalized marijuana last year, but the new law legalizing possession will not take effect until January 2024. That is also when recreational dispensaries can begin selling adult-use marijuana. The state only has a few existing medical dispensaries, with that market just beginning last year.
When the law takes effect in three years, all adults over 21 will be allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to four plants per household.
