Virginia to launch recreational marijuana sales in 2027

Five years after becoming the first Southern state to legalize marijuana possession, Virginia is taking the next step by creating a legal retail market for recreational cannabis.

Under legislation approved as part of the state budget, licensed cannabis stores will be allowed to begin selling marijuana to adults 21 and older starting July 1, 2027. State regulators will begin accepting applications for retail licenses in February of that year, with as many as 350 stores expected to open across the Commonwealth.

Supporters say the move fills a gap left when Virginia legalized possession in 2021 but did not establish a legal way for adults to purchase recreational marijuana. That left many consumers relying on the illegal market.

State Senator Lashrecse Aird, a Democrat who helped lead the effort, says the new law creates what she calls a “smarter and safer path forward” by ensuring cannabis products are tested, accurately labeled, and sold through regulated businesses.

The legislation also doubles the legal possession limit for adults—from one ounce to two ounces—while continuing to allow residents to grow a limited number of marijuana plants at home for personal use.

Virginia already operates a medical marijuana program, but the new law expands legal access beyond registered patients. Retail cannabis sales will be subject to both state sales tax and a new cannabis excise tax. According to state budget estimates, those taxes are expected to generate roughly 51 million dollars in revenue during the program’s first year.

The path to recreational sales has been a long one. Although lawmakers legalized possession five years ago, political changes in Richmond delayed the creation of a retail marketplace. In 2024, then-Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation that would have established recreational sales.

Governor Abigail Spanberger, who took office earlier this year, campaigned in support of a regulated retail market. While she rejected an earlier version of the legislation, she ultimately reached a compromise with lawmakers. Those provisions were included in the state budget, which became law after legislators accepted the governor’s amendments.

Legalization advocates are welcoming the new retail system but have raised concerns about another provision in the law that increases the civil fine for public marijuana consumption. Some advocates worry the change could lead to unequal enforcement, particularly in minority communities.

Virginia remains one of the few Southern states to legalize recreational marijuana, even as federal law continues to prohibit cannabis. However, federal officials have recently signaled a willingness to reconsider marijuana’s legal classification, reflecting a broader shift in national cannabis policy.

For Virginia residents, the new law marks the beginning of a regulated recreational cannabis market that officials say will offer consumers legal, tested products while generating millions in new tax revenue for the state.