A Virginia House committee has killed an effort to begin cannabis sales in September. Cannabis was legalized in the state last year by its legislature, but sales aren’t set to begin until 2024. Because of this recent development, cannabis sales won’t start sooner than the middle of next year.

“House Republicans just killed legislation that would have established a LEGAL marketplace for buying marijuana in Virginia,” Virginia’s Democratic party tweeted. “We could have ended the illicit marijuana market. Now the black market now will continue to thrive, putting Virginians at risk.”

Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, told Cannabis News Box that they’re not happy to see this news.

“This is an extraordinary disappointment for Virginians who were loudly calling for access to retail sales to begin earlier than 2024, and ultimately a real failure by the legislature to provide for public and consumer safety,” Pedini said.

Pedini said that this issue has not been made a priority by the state’s legislature. Virginia residents can grow and possess cannabis already, but the legislature has struggled with getting a legal market established.

Democrats lost control of the House of Delegates in Virginia in November, so they’re relying on Republicans to get the market established. It
appears, at this time, Republicans can’t agree on what a legal market should look like. Conversations have repeatedly fallen apart while
Republicans have tried to come to an agreement on getting the market established.

Though legal sales have become an issue, Pedini said there is some progress being made when it comes to other cannabis issues.

“Legislation to expand and improve Virginia’s medical cannabis program succeeded,” Pedini said. “Most notably it will eliminate the requirement
that patients register with the state and will instead allow them to purchase at dispensaries upon receiving their written certification issued
by a registered practitioner.”

Some worried if Republicans took the House of Delegates in November that legalization would be undone in the state, but it appears Republicans do plan to allow the process to continue. It just might be a while before Virginia residents can actually purchase cannabis from legal stores, which
means many are growing it or relying on the black market. As Virginia Democrats noted, that means many people are being exposed to criminal
activity that they would not be exposed to if they were simply getting cannabis from a store.