RICHMOND, VA (Rocktown Now) — Governor Abigail Spanberger has vetoed two bills that would have established a retail marijuana marketplace in Virginia.

Spanberger stated that she wants to establish a safe, legal and well-regulated cannabis marketplace and did not feel the bills approved by the General Assembly met those goals.

“Virginians deserve a system that replaces the illicit cannabis market with one that prioritizes our children’s health and safety, public safety, product integrity, and accountability.  

As Virginia pursues a legal retail market, it is critical that we incorporate lessons learned by other states and ensure that our regulatory framework is fully prepared to provide strong oversight from day one. That includes clear enforcement authority and sufficient resources for compliance, testing, and inspections, and robust tools to crack down on bad actors who continue to profit from the illicit market.  

I greatly appreciate the patrons’ time crafting this important piece of legislation as well as our continued dialogue and collaboration to strengthen this framework ahead of the next legislative session. I remain committed to working with members of the General Assembly, stakeholders, and law enforcement to get this right,” the Governor stated.