While Virginia lawmakers passed legal possession laws this year, they weren’t able to come to a conclusion on how legal sales of cannabis should operate in the state. It’s now up to the general public to decide if sales will come in the next few years to the state or not. 

Both the governor and all members of the House are up for election this year. Democrats currently have control over both the House and the Senate by thin majorities. This could change depending on the election results. Currently, the House sits with a Democratic majority of 55-45, which is a drastic change from previous years. The past two election cycles have seen Democrats take 21 seats to create a majority. The Senate has an even thinner majority with Democrats holding 21 seats compared to the 19 seats of the Republicans. And depending on the party of the governor, the lieutenant governor could narrow that majority down to one. Lieutenant Governors preside over the Senate in Virginia and only vote in a tie-breaker situation. 

Candidates for Governor

Current Governor Ralph Northam, D, has reached his term limit, meaning he can no longer be governor. Instead, Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe, who was previously governor from 2014-2018, is once again running for governor. He’s outspoken in his support for legal cannabis possession and sales. “The vast majority of Virginians support legal cannabis, but extreme Republicans are determined to make it illegal again,” he tweeted over the summer. McAuliffe’s spokesperson, Renzo Olivari, also spoke on the candidate’s behalf on his support for cannabis sales:

“Marijuana legalization is going to bring over $300 million dollars in revenue per year to our Commonwealth and any efforts to repeal this legislation would be ludicrous,” said the spokesperson. “And let’s not forget, this bill passed with bipartisan support. If there were an effort to repeal it, Terry would do exactly what he has done before: work with both sides to find a path forward and keep this new law on the books.” 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Republican candidate, Glenn Youngkin, has voiced several concerns over legal cannabis sales. “Glenn has serious concerns about the provision of the law that empowers labor union bosses at the expense of small business owners, and would tie the hands of business owners, but has said before that he will not seek to repeal legalization and instead will focus on building a rip-roaring economy with better jobs and bigger paychecks for working Virginians,” said Youngkin’s spokesperson, Macaulay Porter.

Future

This divide could seriously hinder how legal cannabis sales begin in Virginia. Democrats could hold the majority in the House, along with the small margin in the Senate. However, if Youngkin becomes governor, there could be a stop in all legislation. This would put Youngkin in a position to veto every legislation he may not like or agree with. 

It would take a ⅔ majority from both the House and the Senate to overturn the governor’s veto. However, Democratic leaders fear they won’t have enough support to overturn a veto with the narrow majority they have over Republicans, even with negotiations between party lines. 

Early voting begins September 17. As the election moves closer, we will update you with the latest.

Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.