The Virginia Senate on Tuesday approved bills to start adult-use marijuana sales and establish a statewide psilocybin advisory board while moving the psychedelic to a lower schedule under state statute.
The adult-use cannabis sales legislation from Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) cleared the full Democratic-controlled chamber in a 24-16 vote. The psilocybin measure, sponsored by Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D), passed 25-15. They both now head to the GOP-run House of Delegates for consideration.
The path to the Senate floor was relatively quick for each proposal, as lawmakers were up against a crossover deadline to advance the legislation to the opposite chamber by the end of Tuesday.
Here are the main details of each bill:
Marijuana sales
Ebbin’s measure would allow recreational cannabis sales to begin on January 1, 2024. The legislature approved a bill to legalize possession and home cultivation of marijuana by adults 21 and older in 2021, and this new measure would create a regulatory framework for a commercial market.
Sales would take place through existing medical cannabis dispensaries as well as at new businesses run by people who live in “historically economically disadvantaged communities.” Those operators would receive training and support from current cannabis companies.
My legislation
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