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Virginia Governor Proposes Amendments To Budget Containing Marijuana Legalization—Without Suggesting Cannabis Changes

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3 months ago

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Virginia’s governor has proposed changes to the budget legislation passed by lawmakers this week, but those changes do not include changes to provisions to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.

They have also failed to respond to the concerns of advocates who called for a section to be dropped significantly increase the penalties for public consumption of cannabis– as they say, according to the new state data obtained, it will be established in a discriminatory race.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) sent her proposed budget amendments to lawmakers on Friday, which will require the House and Senate to reconvene before enacting the general legislation and its marijuana provisions before the July 1 budget deadline. Lawmakers hope to do so on Monday.

Budget project approved by the Parliament It has provisions that allow for the legalization of the sale of recreational marijuana— but the current $25 fine for using cannabis in a public place would also rise 900 percent to $250 — an increase that advocates call a “poverty penalty.”

A coalition of advocacy groups led by Marijuana Justice this week released new enforcement statistics obtained through Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that show that “legalization has not ended racially biased marijuana policing.”

Analysis of state data shows that since the commercial legalization of cannabis took effect in Virginia in 2021, 185 whites and 179 blacks have been charged with public consumption, meaning that, based on the state’s population, blacks are three times more likely than whites to face such marijuana charges.

Spanberger did not change the penalty increase in the proposed amendments, and he did not suggest any changes to the marijuana section of the bill.

Marijuana Justice and the ACLU of Virginia, the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform, the Marijuana Policy Project, the Drug Policy Alliance and the Latino Cannabis Alliance, among others, recently sent a letter. asking lawmakers and the governor not to increase the punishment for cannabis“saying it will deepen racial and economic inequality.”

“Increased fines and penalties for low-level marijuana offenses are not neutral,” the organizations wrote in a letter to Spanberger and lawmakers. “They are imposed disproportionately against black and brown communities, create unaffordable debt for low-income people, and can cause significant damage to immigration, housing, education and employment.”

Spanberger last month vetoed an earlier measure to legalize the sale of recreational cannabis, after lawmakers rejected proposed amendments to the plan. Later, with Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D) and Del. He negotiated a deal with Sen. Paul Krizek (D), who sponsored the previous measure, that was included in the budget legislation passed this week.

The new plan differs significantly from the previous legislation in several ways.

For example, it sets the start date for the sale of recreational marijuana to July 1, 2027, compared to the Jan. 1 date proposed by Spanberger and passed by lawmakers.

It also limits public possession and purchase of marijuana to 2 ounces per transaction, above the legal limit of one ounce. Legislation approved by lawmakers earlier this year would allow adults to have 2.5 ounces.

The bill also gives Spanberger language to raise the tax on marijuana from 6 percent to 8 percent after two years of legal sales.

As a compromise, the new deal would punish public marijuana use with a civil penalty of $250, a significant increase from the current law’s $25, but harsher than the Class 4 felony called for in the governor’s proposed changes to the previous bill.

Legislators In March he approved the initial bills for the sale of cannabisbut the governor then proposed changes to the legalization proposal—including delaying the start of sales by six months, increasing taxes and introducing new criminal penalties for cannabis users. The the April legislature refused to adopt the amendments when reassembled in a one-day session, however, effectively excluding them. Spanberger then vetoed it.

Spanberger said this month that he was “Really productive” and “incredible” conversations with lawmakers about working on a compromise approach to legalizing the sale of adult cannabisand Marihuana Moment reported on the ongoing talks.

The governor, on the other hand, has tried to explain his veto publicly, including saying that it is his opinion. “Taking a bit longer” to get to market is not something he sees as a “negative”. because getting the details right is more important than getting it done quickly.

A recent survey found that A bipartisan majority of Virginia voters wanted Spanberger to sign the cannabis legislation become law, and that they did not particularly agree with the desire to slow down the period for the launch of legal sales.

The governor recently acknowledged this in a separate interview “A lot of people are not happy” with the veto of cannabis legislation. “Friends and family are also upset,” he said.

Spanberger has answered it repeatedly 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.

However, a spokesman for Spanberger declined to name any other governors who spoke about cannabis in response to a question from Marihuana Moment.

The governor tried to explain his veto in a previous interview, reiterating that he supports the launch of a legal cannabis market but worried about what he called a “fast-track timeline” and “a lot more stores across Virginia” than he thought were appropriate.

Personal possession of marijuana and growing marijuana at home has been legal in Virginia since 2021, but then the govt. Glenn Youngkin (R) twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to legally purchase adult cannabis.

Here are the key details of the new cannabis plan the budget and how it compares to the legislation Spanberger vetoed…SB 542 and HB 642-Also the previously proposed changes to these measures:

  • Adults would be able to purchase up to 2 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products, as determined by regulators. That would mean going over the current legal limit of 1 ounce. Lawmakers previously proposed setting the limit at 2.5 ounces, and the governor wanted only 2 ounces.
  • Legal sales can begin on July 1, 2027. Lawmakers had previously set a date of Jan. 1, 2027, but the governor wanted to push it back to July 1.
  • A 6 percent excise tax would be imposed on the sale of cannabis, as well as 5.3 percent on retail sales and use, and municipalities would impose an additional local tax of up to 3.5 percent. Starting July 1, 2029, the state excise tax would increase to 8 percent, in line with the governor’s previously proposed amendments.
  • Proceeds would be distributed to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund, early childhood education, the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Health Services and public health initiatives. The measure previously approved by lawmakers would have allocated specific percentages to each, but the new language does not specify what share of the revenue will go to each program. The governor, in his amendments, wanted to put all revenue into 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.” His amendment also sought to eliminate support for the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund.
  • The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority will oversee licensing and regulation of the new industry, and will also take over oversight of hemp, which falls under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. A five-member board of directors appointed by the governor would lead the body, and the bill previously approved by lawmakers called for a seven-member body, four appointed by the governor, two appointed by the Speaker of the House and one appointed by the Senate Rules Committee.
  • The definition of what constitutes a legal hemp product would be narrowed by removing a provision that contains more than 2 milligrams of total THC per package if they contain a CBD to THC ratio of 25:1 or greater.
  • 350 retail marijuana shops would be allowed to operate statewide, the same number approved by lawmakers and more than the 200 proposed by the governor.
  • Local governments should not allow marijuana businesses 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.
  • Public use of marijuana would be a civil violation punishable by a $250 fine. That’s ten times the $25 fine under current law, but more severe than the governor’s proposed Class 4 felony. Possession of cannabis by anyone under 21 would be subject to a $25 fine and mandatory participation in a substance abuse treatment or education program or both. The governor suggested treating possession by minors as 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.
  • Existing medical cannabis operators could enter the adult-use market if they pay a $10 million license conversion fee.
  • Cannabis businesses should implement peaceful labor agreements with their employees.
  • A legislative committee would direct the addition of local consumer licenses and micro-enterprise cannabis event permits that would allow licensees to hold sales at farmers markets or pop-up locations. This provision was also included in the legislation approved by the former legislators, but the governor proposed to delete it.

Meanwhile, the governor signed several other reform bills this session, including measures Resentment relief for people with past cannabis convictions, protecting the parental rights of marijuana users and giving patients access to medical cannabis in hospitals.

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Fluent to sell New York license and operations

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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Fluent has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Etain, LLC, the Company’s New York-based operating entity. The purchase agreement was signed on July 22, 2026. The transaction provides for the sale of Etain’s Registered Entity license, certain of the Company’s New York operating assets and related New York leases for cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.

The Company believes the Transaction advances its strategic objectives and expects the Transaction to comply with applicable regulatory requirements in connection with the Company’s previously announced plan of arrangement for Vireo Growth Inc. (the “Deal”) while providing for an orderly transition of the New York operations to an experienced operator committed to serving patients and consumers.

Completion of the free transaction is subject to closing conditions, including, among other customary conditions, approval of the change in ownership by the New York State Cannabis Control Board and the completion of all conditions to the completion of the Agreement.

For more information:
FLUENT Corp
getfluent.com/










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Marijuana Has ‘Horrific Health Risks’ And No Medical Value, Former Trump Attorney General Claims

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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A former US attorney general who served in President Donald Trump’s first term says marijuana poses “tremendous health risks,” has no medical value and should not be rescheduled under federal law.

“Marijuana redistricting would create a false impression that it is safe, reduce penalties for illegally selling the drug, and provide a large tax windfall to those who legally supply it,” William Barr wrote in a Wednesday op-ed for The Washington Post, Kevin Sabet, CEO of the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana. “That would be a disaster.”

The opinion comes as the Trump administration moves forward with cannabis reregulation.

According to an order issued in April by US Attorney General Todd Blanche, Marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license were immediately changed from Schedule I As did marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

an administrator The hearing is looking at the broader rescheduling of marijuanawith The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been tasked with advocating for cannabis reform highlighting the testimony about the medical benefits of marijuana and its relative safety compared to other substances such as alcohol and opioids. It included appearances by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and a doctor from New Hampshire. Medical marijuana provides relief to pain patients and can serve as an alternative to opioids.

But Sabet and Barr, who served as Trump’s attorney general from 2019-2020, argued that “the evidence presented at the hearing did not support the rescheduling of marijuana” and instead “confirmed what decades of data have shown: raw marijuana has no scientifically established medical value and is highly susceptible to abuse.”

After the parties to the hearing have filed termination rights, the DEA administrative law judge overseeing the proceedings will make a recommendation regarding rescheduling, and the agency administrator will make a final decision.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole only organizations and individuals opposed to marijuana reform have been invited to the hearing as a designated participant – telling supporters that they do not meet the definition of “interested person” to participate because they have not been “affected or prejudiced by any rule or proposed rule that may be issued.”

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
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The former attorney general’s new opinion says “the stakes couldn’t be higher”, arguing that “marijuana today is more dangerous than ever” and that it is “addictive”, throwing out a list of alleged harm to mental and physical health.

“These unhealthy effects are a predictable result of a powerful and addictive drug being normalized, commercialized and marketed as a medicine,” Barr and Sabet say. “It would be one thing if marijuana had medical value. But there is no credible evidence that marijuana is an effective treatment for any medical condition, despite the millions of dollars spent trying to prove otherwise.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a 252 analysis in 2023 that concluded that marijuana had accepted medical value and should be rescheduled.

The new opposition piece also says that “rescheduling would unlock enormous revenue for the corporate marijuana industry by bringing it into a category that has not been covered by a longstanding reduction in federal drug tax deductions,” referring to a law known as 280E, which repeals Sections I and II.

“This, in turn, would allow the industry to spend even more on advertising and marketing to young people,” Barr and Sabet. he wroteArguing that “those who would lose this dragon in society are laying the foundations for another Big Tobacco”.

The Sabet organization, SAM, is one of several parties Challenging the Marijuana Redistricting Process which have been upheld by a federal Court of Appeals. those separate parts State attorneys general have filed lawsuits against cannabis reform, Opponents of marijuana legalization and a a cannabis-based biopharmaceutical corporation.

SAM’s lawsuit was signed by attorneys at Torridon Law PLLC, where Barr is a partner.

The team announced in January that it was Hiring Barr’s firm to fight cannabis rescheduling After Trump signed an executive order directing officials to quickly complete the process.

During the first Trump administration, Barr was accused by a Justice Department official Directing improper anti-company investigations into multiple cannabis company mergers– Accounting for almost a third of the division’s cases in 2019.

Several Democratic members of Congress introduced a resolution calling for an investigation into Barr’s possible impeachment, saying “abused the power of his office” to improperly investigate marijuana businesses while engaging in other allegedly illegal conduct.

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How much red light does cannabis really need?

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2 months ago

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July 26, 2026

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When growers pull out two LED fixtures side by side, the first number they usually discuss is percent red. This is an easy specification to fix. They are efficient at producing red photons and incredibly efficient at photosynthesis, and cannabis eats away at the flower. So more red must be better, right?

Not so simple. Red is an input to a spectrum, and the spectrum is an input to a room. There is no single spectrum that wins everywhere. An indoor room pushes hard, a greenhouse that soaks up sunlight, a temperamental cultivar, and aggressive yields call for something different. Knowing what each light strip actually does allows you to choose a tool that fits your grow instead of one that just has a big number on the sales page.

© JumpLights

Blue: structure
Blue (approximately 400-500 nm) gives shape to the plant. It maintains dense growth, strong stems, tight internodes and allows it to develop as desired. It also encourages stomatal opening, so the plant manages water and gas exchange better. Get blue and you’ve built a plant that can carry heavy flowers with no problem.

Green: access
Green was eliminated as the wavelength is “reflected” by plants. It turns out that it does a real job. Blue and red are absorbed above; the green goes deep into the fat and reaches the leaves that are never touched by the above photons. In a compact room, it’s the difference between plants photosynthesising from the top down and those that work only from the top. Green won’t replace your red or blue, but it does carry usable light where they can’t reach.

Red: engine
Red is the horse of the flower. It absorbs as efficiently as anything in the spectrum, and is responsible for most of the biomass you’re after. Redder generally means faster flower development, more weight and better efficiency per watt.

But red has a ceiling, and it’s tied to what you run. Push PPFD upwards with a heavy red spectrum and some cultivars begin to whiten at the top: the flower should be dense with pale, washed tips. Genetics, intensity, barrel temperature and your general environment all feed into it. If you’re using aggressive light levels, a lower red spectrum will buy you room before that becomes a problem, leaving you almost no photosynthetic punch to get it.

Far Red: More than Emerson
Far-red (700-750 nm) appears in more devices every year. It contributes little to photosynthesis on its own, but it moves plant morphology and works with red through the Emerson Enhancement Effect. Used properly, it helps to deepen the light, encourage uniformity of the canopy and encourage the response of the bloom. The key word is small. A touch of far red rounds out a spectrum; he’s not there to make a show.

Matching the red percentage with the room
Cannabis addresses the entire spectrum, not a line on a spec sheet. Reds cause flowers, but blues, greens and crimsons give the plant something it needs. Where you land in red refers to how you grow.

A lower red spectrum (30-40%) captures more blue and green, gives you better morphology, reduces the risk of photobleaching, and holds up when you’re running extreme PPFD. Moderate spectrum (40-55%) is the sweet spot in commercial greenhouses: strong photosynthetic efficiency, strong flowering, balanced growth. A high-red spectrum (70%+) makes the most sense in a greenhouse, where the sun is already giving you lots of blue and green and your supplemental light can cast effective red to fill the gap.

Where does the ETS MAX series fit in?
This is the thinking behind the JumpLights ETS MAX series. Instead of forcing a spectrum into each room, it rarely comes up because a greenhouse and a high PPFD indoor flower room are not the same problem.

  • ETS MAX 4C41% red: for indoor rooms operating at very high intensity, where photobleaching is a real risk. The wider, red bottom balance allows you to push the tops without overcooking them
  • ETS MAX 4A48% red: balanced internal spectrum that maintains high output while controlling bleaching.
  • ETS MAX 5B57% Red: A high-performance indoor option. Moderate red, marked with efficiency and flower at the same time, up to 3,450 μmol/s, with efficiency that holds the spectrum.
  • ETS MAX 7A76% red: built for the greenhouse. The sun already supplies blue and green, so this leans heavily on the complementary red, up to 3,900 μmol/s in the infrastructure most greenhouses already have in place.

Bottom line
Choosing an activity is not a competition for the highest red number. The winning spectrum is the one that matches your environment, your intensity, your genetics, and what you’re trying to produce. Combine spectrum, intensity, environmental control, light distribution and genetics, and you’ve got a lighting strategy. Keep a spec isolated and all you’ve got is a bright room.

The ETS MAX line was created around this idea: choose the spectrum of the room you actually have, indoor or greenhouse, and let the device work with your grow rather than against it.

For more information:
JumpLights
www.jumplights.com

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