Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have created Virginia’s cannabis retail market, halting an effort lawmakers spent months negotiating. Her decision comes five years after the state legalized marijuana possession.The decision also follows a standoff between the Democratic governor and the Virginia General Assembly over extensive revisions Spanberger sought to make to the legislation passed during the 2026 session. Lawmakers declined to adopt the governor’s rewritten version, which included 40 changes, and returned the original proposal to her desk, forcing a final up-or-down decision.Spanberger faced a May 23 deadline to either approve the bill, reject it, or permit it to take effect without her endorsement. Her veto now appears likely to delay further action on retail marijuana sales until lawmakers reconvene in 2027.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) delivers the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, Feb. 24, 2026, in Williamsburg, Virginia. (Steve Helber, Pool, file/AP Photo)
In issuing her veto, Spanberger said she remains open to a lawful cannabis sales system but contends Virginia has not yet built the oversight and enforcement mechanisms necessary to implement one safely.
