The Virginia General Assembly on Thursday rejected the changes proposed last week by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to the state’s adult-use cannabis sales bill, 13 News Now reports.
Instead of approving the governor’s amendments, lawmakers decided to send the bill back to her desk without making any changes, potentially risking a veto.
Lawmakers passed the proposal in March. However, last week, on the last day possible to take action on the bill, Gov. Spanberger, instead of signing or vetoing the proposal, opted to attach several amendments to the bill and send it back to lawmakers.
The governor’s changes included delaying the market’s launch by six months, until July 1, 2027, reducing the number of retailers initially allowed to open, and increasing penalties for criminal behavior.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have lamented the governor’s decision to send back a substitute bill rather than line-by-line amendments, as they were forced to consider the changes from an all-or-nothing perspective.
It’s not clear whether Spanberger will sign or veto the cannabis sales proposal at this point, or allow it to become law without her signature.
The governor said during her gubernatorial campaign last year that she would sign an adult-use cannabis sales bill into law if one were to reach her desk while governor.
All previous proposals to legalize adult-use cannabis sales in Virginia were vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).
