Virginia lawmakers explore an earlier start for retail marijuana sales

The start of marijuana retail sales in Virginia could come sooner than initially planned as lawmakers continue to discuss the ground rules for the new industry.

The commission that oversees implementation of state legislation that legalized marijuana recently created a subcommittee that will draw up recommendations on how to expedite the start of retail sales in Virginia, a milestone currently slated for January 2024.

That subcommittee of the Cannabis Oversight Commission is expected to meet in the first half of November to create the recommendations, said Henry Watkins, who is chief of staff for the commission’s chairman, Sen. Adam Ebbin.

The Cannabis Oversight Commission created the subcommittee during a meeting earlier this month, and the question of a quicker start to retail sales comes amid other debates among lawmakers about the industry as it takes shape.

A sticking point among commission members earlier this month was how the state’s medical cannabis operators should be allowed to participate in the retail market.

The state’s four medical cannabis operators, which are currently allowed to have prescription-based dispensaries onsite at their manufacturing facilities in addition to five satellite medical dispensaries each, would be permitted to run full-on retail operations out of their dispensaries under current legislation once retail sales are enacted. [Read more at Richmond BizSense]