Cannabis in Virginia

Virginia is a state where cannabis is legal to have and still hard to buy. Adults 21 and older have been able to possess it and grow it at home since July 1, 2021, but the same law did not license shops. Until sales begin on July 1, 2027, the only lawful place to buy cannabis is the state's medical program, and anything sold across a counter outside it is unlicensed.

The Commonwealth's Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) regulates both markets. The medical program runs through five pharmaceutical processors and, as of August 2026, 23 dispensary locations across four of the five health service areas, none of them in the Northwest. Registration is optional: a written certification from a practitioner registered with the Board of Pharmacy is enough to buy. Virginia certifications are also accepted for the District of Columbia's reciprocity registration.

Adult rules now read: possession of up to two ounces in public, four plants per household kept out of public view and tagged, and a civil penalty of up to $25 for holding more than that up to four ounces. Consuming in a public place carries a $25 civil penalty that rises to $250 on July 1, 2027. Selling remains a crime.

The retail law took a detour. Legislators passed a framework in March 2026, Governor Abigail Spanberger vetoed it after lawmakers rejected her amendments, and on June 16 she and the sponsors announced a compromise that went into the state budget the General Assembly approved on June 22. It sets sales for July 1, 2027, a cap of 350 retail licenses, a 6 percent state tax rising to 8 percent in 2029 plus 5.3 percent sales tax and up to 3.5 percent local tax, and moves intoxicating hemp regulation to the CCA. Draft rules were presented on September 9, 2026, with applications planned for February 1, 2027.