VirginiaMarijuana and hemp products; enforcement.
What it does
Marijuana and hemp products; enforcement. Amends various provisions of law to increase enforcement and penalties related to the illegal sale of marijuana or marijuana products by persons licensed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, and the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA). The bill also requires the Board of Directors of the CCA to create and require a decal for retail marijuana store licensees to prominently display on the premises of such store that allows consumers to electronically verify the validity of such store's license from the Board.
More detail
The bill requires such decal to be displayed by licensees, with a civil penalty of $10,000 for each day that such decal is not displayed in the establishment. The bill also creates a $10,000 civil penalty for creating or falsifying such decal. The bill allows the Board to issue a notice of violation and order to cease unlicensed activity to any person who is engaged in the cultivation, processing, distribution, or selling of marijuana or marijuana products in violation of current law, and if the Board issues such notice and order, it may also order the seizure of such marijuana or marijuana products. Any person who intentionally removes such notice and order or sticker without authorization of the Board is subject to a civil penalty prescribed by the Board, not to exceed $5,000. The bill also specifies that the Chief Executive Officer of the Board or investigators appointed by him shall be sworn to enforce the provisions of the Cannabis Control Act and Board regulations and have the authority to investigate violations of the statutes and regulations the CCA is required to enforce. The bill also revises certain provisions related the assessment of civil penalties against manufacturers and sellers of certain industrial hemp extracts and foods containing industrial hemp extracts and makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to sell or offer for sale a substance intended for human consumption, orally or by inhalation, that (i) contains more than 0.3 percent total tetrahydrocannabinol or (ii) contains more than two milligrams of total tetrahydrocannabinol per package. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to analyze the current efforts in the Commonwealth to combat the sale of illicit cannabis products and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations, on General Laws, and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations, on General Laws and Technology, on Rehabilitation and Social Services, and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 13Governor's recommendation received by SenateLatest
- Apr 3Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543)
- Mar 31Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 31Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026Minor
- Mar 31Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 30Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 30Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB543ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 24Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543)
- Mar 14Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)Minor
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt Conference Committee Report R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 14Conference report agreed to by House (65-Y 30-N 0-A)Minor
- Mar 14Conference Report released
- Mar 12House Conferees: Krizek, Torian, Wiley
- Vote recorded Accede Conference Committee R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 12Conferees appointed by House
- Mar 12Senate Conferees: Aird, VanValkenburg, Stanley
- Mar 12Conferees appointed by Senate
- Mar 12Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 11House requested conference committeeMinor
- Mar 11House insisted on amendments
- Mar 10General Laws Amendment rejected by SenateMinor
- Vote recorded Concur House Amendment R. Result: fail.Upper
- Mar 6Passed House with amendment (66-Y 32-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Engrossed by House as amended
- Mar 6committee amendment agreed toMajor
- Mar 6Read third timeMinor
- Mar 5Read second timeMinor
- Mar 3Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) (17-Y 4-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s). Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Reported from General Laws with amendment(s). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 3Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 1-N)
- Mar 3House subcommittee offered
- Feb 25Assigned HGL sub: ABC/GamingMinor
- Feb 24Referred to Committee on General LawsMinor
- Feb 24Read first timeMinor
- Feb 24Placed on Calendar
- Feb 19Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543)
- Feb 17Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 16Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)Major
- Feb 16Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
- Feb 16Read second timeMinor
- Feb 16Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543)
- Feb 13Passed by for the day
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 13Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 13Rules suspended
- Feb 13Committee substitute printed 26107980D-S1Major
- Feb 12Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (13-Y 1-N 1-A)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 30Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543)
- Jan 23Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 13Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social ServicesMinor
- Jan 13Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105066DIntroduced