RICHMOND, Va. — As Virginia prepares to legalize retail marijuana sales as soon as November, small business owners and farmers are urging lawmakers to delay the start date, saying they need more time to compete fairly with existing medical marijuana dispensaries largely owned by out-of-state corporations.
At a news conference at the General Assembly Thursday morning, groups representing small business owners and farmers argued that allowing sales within the next year would create an unfair advantage for current medical marijuana dispensary owners over local entrepreneurs who must obtain licenses and secure spaces that conform to local zoning regulations.
The licensing and setup process typically takes 18 to 36 months, advocates said, putting small businesses at a significant disadvantage in what one bill sponsor describes as a $5 billion illegal market.
Michael Carter, a fifth-generation farmer from Orange County, said he would need at least a year to get necessary approvals and then grow the crop, meaning his harvest couldn't reach market before November 2027.
"The current legislation, the way it's written, is not a benefit for small farmers. It's not a benefit for big farmers. It's a benefit for corporate farmers. And we're not going to have a benefit or a industry where farmers can actually grow and thrive, and we're going to lose more farms, probably in 2026 instead of 400 farms, we lose 800 farms next this year, because not giving our farmers a chance to grow and take advantage of these marketplaces," Carter said.
With separate bills having passed both chambers, House and Senate lawmakers will now work together to agree on a start date for retail sales. The House bill would allow sales starting Nov. 1, while the Senate version would begin Jan. 1 of next year.
Both proposed dates are much sooner than these advocates would prefer, as they seek more time to establish their businesses and compete in Virginia's emerging legal marijuana market.
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