GOP Governor Youngkin Vetoes Virginia Cannabis Sales Bill 3 Years After Legalization, Sparking Democratic Outrage
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed legislation on Thursday that would have established a legal marketplace for cannabis, making good on his often repeated comments that he didn’t “have a lot of interest in it” even though the state legalized recreational marijuana nearly three years ago. In April 2021, Virginia became the first southern state to legalize marijuana under then-Democratic Governor Ralph Northam.
After vetoing identical bills that would have allowed the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to begin issuing retail licenses from Sept. 1, 2024, the Republican governor gave a righteous anti-cannabis response explaining his decision to scuttle the state’s cannabis industry.
“Cannabis is bad for Virginia,” Youngkin told 13News Now on Thursday.
“We see across other states that have retail markets for a while, a massive increase in adolescent usage, massive increase in child poisonings, and what that results from is an accessibility that …