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Sponsors Of Virginia Marijuana Sales Legalization Bill Ask Colleagues To Reject Governor’s Amendments, Risking A Veto

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Sponsors of Virginia bills to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana are urging lawmakers to vote this week to reject the governor’s proposed amendments to the legislation.

Last week, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) He proposed changes to the measure to legalize the trade in cannabis—including delaying the start of sales by six months, increasing taxes and introducing new criminal penalties for cannabis users.

Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D) and Del. Paul Krizek (D), who sponsored the Senate and House versions, respectively, of the bill to legalize the sale of cannabis, both told Marihuana Momenti that they want their colleagues to vote against the amendments when the legislature reconvenes on Wednesday, even though that could put Spanberger’s veto at risk when the measure returns to his desk.

“While the governor and I share the goal of establishing a safe and regulated market for cannabis, we differ on the best way to achieve it,” Aird said.

“As our conversations continue, I urge the governor to reconsider provisions that reintroduce punitive measures that undermine the intent of legalization, shift critical elements of the framework to an uncertain regulatory process, and remove key supports for affected licensees.”

Krizek noted, “A few years ago the legislature took bipartisan steps to end racially discriminatory marijuana policing here in Virginia.”

“But unfortunately, and probably unintentionally, because he has not been involved in this years-long process,” he said, “the governor’s proposed amendments would repeal some of these decriminalization laws and undermine what has been a thorough, thoughtful and balanced process of crafting this legislation with community and stakeholder engagement that has brought us to this more regulated and responsive cannabis framework.”

“When we legalized cannabis, it was in recognition of the disproportionate harm caused by the war on cannabis, especially among black families,” said the House lawmaker. “This bill was intentional in recognizing that, but much of that intentionality is lost with many of the amendments.”

Krizek told WTOP radio that he expected some of the governor’s corrections after meeting with him earlier this month, but was “surprised” by others that never came up during the debate.

The lawmaker said Spanberger is concerned about the “pretty draconian penalties” suggested in the bill, adding that because it suggests a full replacement version of the legislation, rather than piecemeal amendments, the House and Senate can take up or leave the package as a whole instead of considering each change individually.

The Legislature rejects the proposal Wednesday, and after the governor vetoes the original proposal, lawmakers would have to start with new bills in the 2027 session.

Krizek said in the radio interview that he believes the governor is “very open to dialogue and compromise.”

“We can do it next session. We can pass the bill that we know he’s going to sign, and let his administration know that I’m willing to work with him and make it happen,” he said. “We’re going to keep meeting, and we’re going to take a lot of those suggestions that he has in his version, and we’re going to see what we agree on.”

As for Spanberger’s proposed criminal penalties, however, Krizek said, “I’m not very hopeful about backing down on that front, but I think it’s just a matter of negotiating with him and explaining where we are and why.”

He also told Marihuana Momenti on Tuesday that he is “hopeful that with further discussion and negotiation we can find a compromise that will maintain a balance between justice and public safety.”

A spokesman for the governor say The Richmond Times-Dispatch said it is “committed to working with patrons to end the jobs,” and sidestepped the outlet’s question about whether it would veto the original bill if lawmakers bring it back this week.

Spanberger, for his part, responded Criticism of the cannabis amendments from bill sponsors and advocates saying that the suggested changes came after him He spoke with leaders of other states that have already established adult marijuana markets.

Personal marijuana possession and home cultivation have been legal in Virginia since 2021, but former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to legally purchase adult cannabis.

Here are other key details of cannabis bills:SB 542 and HB 642-Approved by the legislators and with the amendments proposed by the governor:

  • Lawmakers voted to allow adults to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products specified by regulators. This represents an increase from the current legal limit of 1 ounce. The governor, however, wants to raise the amount to only 2 ounces.
  • Under the Legislature’s plan, legal sales could begin on January 1, 2027, but the governor is proposing to push that back to July 1, 2027.
  • Lawmakers voted to impose a 6 percent excise tax on cannabis sales and 5.3 percent on retail sales and use, while allowing municipalities to impose an additional local tax of up to 3.5 percent. The governor’s plan is largely the same, though it would raise the excise tax to 8 percent starting July 1, 2029.
  • Under the legislation approved by lawmakers, the revenue would be allocated to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund (30 percent), early childhood education (40 percent), the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Health Services (25 percent) and public health initiatives (5 percent). The governor, however, wants to direct all revenue to the general fund for purposes such as “early childhood education, behavioral health, public health awareness, prevention, treatment and recovery services, workforce development, reentry, indigent criminal defense and targeted reinvestment in historically disadvantaged communities.”
  • The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would oversee licensing and regulation of the new industry, and would also take over oversight of hemp, which currently falls under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
  • Local governments could not allow marijuana companies to operate in their area.
  • Delivery services would be allowed.
  • Serving sizes would be limited to 10 milligrams of THC, with no more than 100 mg of THC per package.
  • The governor is proposing to make public use of marijuana a Class 4 felony instead of a civil violation punishable by a $25 fine under current law. It also seeks to make possession of cannabis by anyone under 21 a Class 1 felony, punishable by a mandatory minimum fine of $500 or 50 hours of community service, as well as a driver’s license suspension of at least six months. The illegal sale or distribution of 50 pounds or more of marijuana would be a Class 2 felony punishable by jail time.
  • The governor wants to eliminate support for the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund.
  • Existing medical cannabis operators could enter the adult use market if they pay a license conversion fee set at $10 million.
  • Cannabis businesses should implement peaceful labor agreements with their employees.
  • As approved by lawmakers, the bill would have directed a legislative committee to consider adding local consumer licenses and micro-enterprise cannabis event permits that would allow licensees to hold sales at farmers markets or pop-up locations, but the governor is proposing to remove that language.

Meanwhile, Spanberger also suggested significant amendments to differentiate the legislation resentence mitigation for people with prior marijuana convictions.

Separately, the governor signed several other reform bills this week, including measures protecting the parental rights of marijuana users and giving patients access to medical cannabis in hospitals.

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Third cannabis business approved by Jefferson Town Council

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5 hours ago

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May 15, 2026

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The Jefferson City Council unanimously approved “Green Leevs” as the city’s first cannabis micro-farm at its May 6 meeting. This is the third cannabis business approved by the municipality in order to bring income to the municipality. Retail dispensaries “Greenlight Apothecary” and “Gas and Grass” were previously approved.

Green Leevs are owned by Bill Comeford, Elliot McClendon and Josh Moskowitz. All three are from the local area, Comeford grew up in Jefferson. In New Jersey, a micro-enterprise is a facility with 2,500 square feet of growing space. A micro-farm relies on the craftsmanship of cannabis rather than mass production.

“We have more control, we have more hands, the smaller grow rooms make it easier to inspect each plant,” Comeford said. “If you’re careful, it makes for a better product at the end of the day.”

Green Leeves understands that there are mixed feelings about the Council’s approval of the cannabis industry and hopes that this will ease over time.

Read more at Press Jefferson










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Virginia Governor Signs Marijuana Resentencing Bill After Lawmakers Rejected Her Amendments

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May 15, 2026

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Virginia’s governor has signed legislation to grant sentence relief to people with past marijuana convictions, even as lawmakers have refused to accept proposed amendments to the legislation that would significantly narrow the scope of reform.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) gave final approval to the bills, Rozia Henson Jr.’s HB 26 (D) and Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas’ SB 62 (D), on Thursday.

Separately, lawmakers and advocates are waiting the governor’s action on separate legislation to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana after amendments to his proposal were similarly rejected by the House and Senate last month. The changes suggested in that legislation included delaying the start of sales by six months, increasing taxes and introducing new criminal penalties for cannabis users.

Retrial reform, on the other hand, creates a process by which people incarcerated or on community custody for certain crimes involving the possession, manufacture, sale or distribution of marijuana will consider changing their sentences to receive an automatic trial.

Spanberger sent proposed amendments to lawmakers last month They had to proactively submit requests for assistance to affected people instead of the courts proceeding automatically. The Senate and House of Representatives, however, rejected the proposal, effectively rejecting it and sending the original legislation to Spanberger’s desk.

Henson, the sponsor of the House version of the bill, said it was ready to accept the governor’s changes, even if he is concerned this would mean that some people with cannabis convictions would fall through the cracks because they “didn’t have a lawyer or didn’t know how to ask.”

The whole parliament did not agree with the change, however, and now HB 26 and SB 62 The laws that were originally approved have been implemented.

The relief will apply to people with convictions or convictions for conduct that occurred before July 1, 2021, when a state law that legalized personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana went into effect. State and local corrections officials should identify and notify eligible individuals of their rights to provide notice of relief and then work with courts to automatically schedule hearings.

Henson said last month that the resentencing legislation was “built for people who are still paying the price for something that Virginia has made legal.”

“If the commonwealth were to change the law, it still has the duty to review the consequences of the people punished according to the old one,” he said.

The governor’s office said in a press release when he proposed his amendments that they “clarify that there will be no tolerance for violent crimes in Virginia, from armed robbery to possession of firearms to distribute fentanyl, heroin and other dangerous drugs.”

But Henson said he shares the “governor’s commitment” to making sure violent offenders are not eligible for this relief; and that commitment is reflected in the bill itself, which excluded people convicted of violent acts under Virginia law.

Spanberger’s release last month made no mention of the actual major changes to the bill, which was the removal of automatic leniency provisions for people with cannabis convictions.

The governor’s amendment also proposed removing the deadline for court filings on the retrial.

In the previous session, members of parliament approved similar legislation, but the then government vetoed it. Glenn Young (R).

Separately, Spanberger signed several other reform bills last month, including measures protecting the parental rights of marijuana users and giving patients access to medical cannabis in hospitals.

Cannabis policy reform organizations, on the other hand, sent a letter earlier this month asking the governor to enact the adult-use marijuana sales bill.

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Cannabis operators report mixed results as rescheduling reshapes the financial outlook

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May 14, 2026

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The rescheduling came mid-quarter and rewrote the tax math for each medical sales operator, but the underlying revenue picture remained uneven in early 2026, with acquisitions driven at one end of the scale and continued top-line compression at the other.

Vireo Growth: Back on $106 million deal
Vireo Growth Inc. reported Q1 GAAP revenue of $106.2 million, up 333.5% year-over-year, driven almost entirely by recent acquisitions rather than organic growth. The company completed the Schwazze acquisition in March, adding 45 dispensaries and two manufacturing facilities in Colorado and New Mexico. At the end of the quarter, it closed Eaze and Hawthorne Gardening, FLUENT Corp. announced an acquisition agreement and executed a California dispensary joint venture with Glass House Brands. Treating all acquisitions as closed on January 1, 2025 on a pro forma basis, revenue was $210.2 million and adjusted EBITDA was $42.2 million. The company ended the quarter with $137.8 million in cash.

John Mazarakis, CEO of Vireo, said: “Performance in the first quarter met our expectations and we are excited to welcome Schwazze, Eaze and Hawthorne to Vireo. We are focused on integration and optimization across the platform, while remaining opportunistic regarding growth opportunities associated with further acquisitions.”

Cresco Labs: $151 million, 280E relief and Texas license
Cresco Labs reported Q1 revenue of $151 million, down from $165.8 million in Q1 2025. Adjusted gross margin was 50.7% and adjusted EBITDA margin of $33 million was 21.7%. Cash at the end of the quarter was $67 million against a $310 million secured term loan. The company was conditionally granted a Texas Compassionate Use Program license after the quarter ended and opened two new dispensaries in Ohio.

Management said, “Moving the state’s legal medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III is the most impactful reform this industry has seen, and it validates the work we’ve been executing for years. We’ve built the operational foundation and balance sheet discipline to reap the immediate benefits of rescheduling, and position Cresco to take advantage of the broader path to normalization.”

Jushi Holdings: 4% growth, 460 basis point margin expansion
Jushi Holdings reported first-quarter revenue of $66.4 million, up 4% year-over-year, with gross profit margin up 460 basis points to 45%. Adjusted EBITDA was $11.4 million, up 17.2%. The margin improvement was driven by higher production volumes in Ohio, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and the performance of grower processors. Jushi brand products accounted for 58% of retail revenue in vertical markets. The company refinanced $132.3 million in debt during the quarter, providing $160 million in new debt through 2029.

Jim Cacioppo, president and CEO, said: “The recent scheduling of state-licensed medical marijuana for Schedule III is an important milestone for the industry, eliminating 280E tax limitations for medical operations and supporting a more favorable long-term operating environment.” Medical sales accounted for about 60% of Jushi’s 2025 revenue, making this material relief.

iAnthus Capital: Revenue falls to $33.5 million
iAnthus Capital reported first-quarter revenue of $33.5 million, down $4.6 million from 2025’s first quarter. Gross margin was 47.5%, up 477 basis points from the 2025 quarter. The company did not provide a management comment in the press release.

Country farms: international export record, fourth consecutive quarter of net income
Village Farms International reported first quarter consolidated net sales of $50.2 million, up 27% year-over-year, with net income of $2.9 million and adjusted EBITDA of $9.9 million, up 118% year-over-year. International export sales increased 171% to a record $14.6 million, driven by demand for EU-GMP compliant products in Germany. Pure Sunfarms had the top Canadian market share in dried flowers for the 15th consecutive month. The company started planting the first half of its Delta 2 greenhouse expansion and expects its Phase II facility in the Netherlands to reach full capacity by the end of 2026, which would quadruple Dutch production.

Michael DeGiglio, President and CEO, said: “Our first quarter results reflect a strong start to the year and continued momentum in our largest markets, with adjusted EBITDA growth of 118% year-over-year, significantly outpacing revenue growth of 27%, driven by our international business and continued leadership in Canada.

Cronos Group: Record revenue, $822 million in cash
Cronos Group reported Q1 net income of $45.2 million, up 40% year-over-year and a record quarter, with net income of $15.7 million and adjusted EBITDA of $5.1 million. Israel led growth PEACE NATURALS grew 53% for ninth consecutive record quarter. In Canada, the Spinach brand took first place in vapes with a 9.8% share of the national market, and maintained its top spot in edibles at 20.8%. The company ended the quarter with $821.9 million in cash and authorized a new $50 million stock repurchase program. The deadline to close the acquisition of CanAdelaar, one of the ten licensed growers in the Dutch Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment, has been extended to September 9, 2026 to allow time for regulatory approvals.

Mike Gorenstein, chairman, president and CEO, said, “Cronos achieved net earnings and gross profit in the first quarter as we continue to execute against our unlimited product strategy and the additional supply from Cronos GrowCo’s expansion fuels the next phase of our growth.”

Org chart: Revenue down 9%, Sanity Group acquisition closes after quarter
Organigram Global reported fiscal second quarter net income of $59.8 million, down 9% year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA of $0.9 million, down 82%. Lower vape and pre-infusion sales drove the decline, along with a $5.8 billion dent in the U.S. hemp business. The company achieved a record quarterly harvest of over 32,000kg at its Moncton facility, up 56% year-on-year, and launched 10 SKUs in Australia targeting over 4,000 pharmacies. At the end of the quarter, Organigram acquired Sanity Group, one of Germany’s leading cannabis companies, and updated its 2026 guidance to net revenue of more than $350 million.

James Yamanaka, CEO, said: “Q2 reflected our poor performance in vaporizers and temporary challenges in pre-infusion production, compounded by slower industry growth. We have acted quickly to address these issues, and the operational changes and product improvements we have implemented are already beginning to stabilize performance.”

Greg Guyatt, Chief Financial Officer, said: “The financial impact of the competitive and operational challenges encountered earlier in fiscal 2026 is believed to have materialized in the first half of the year, and we are now beginning to stabilize performance. We expect to resume a trajectory of margin expansion and improved profitability during the second half of the year, supported by positive revenue and international sales growth. The Sanity Group.”

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