A recent report by Radio IQ suggests Virginia lawmakers are once again inching toward a legal recreational marijuana market, this time through the state budget process. Following Governor Abigail Spanberger's veto, Senate Democrats have threatened to fold retail...
President Donald Trump signed an executive order today moving marijuana out of the federal government’s most restrictive drug category, formally acknowledging that cannabis has medical value and a lower potential for abuse than previously recognized. The order reclassifies marijuana from Schedule I, alongside heroin, to Schedule III, placing it...
A December 31, 2025 deadline could shutter hundreds of vape shops, raising questions about consolidation, equity, and who benefits from regulation. On December 31, most vape products currently sold in Virginia will become illegal to sell. Under a law passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin, only nicotine and...
The Joint Commission on the Future of Cannabis Sales held its final public meeting before lawmakers begin drafting the next version of Virginia’s adult-use cannabis bill. The bill will be introduced when the General Assembly returns in January and, if it passes through the full legislative process, would not reach Governor-elect Abigail...
Editor’s Note: This story includes remarks from a national webinar hosted by the Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA) on Friday, November 8, 2025, before Senator Mitch McConnell’s hemp amendment was inserted into the government funding package over the weekend. The comments reflect the industry’s final warning before the language...
Editor's note: Redfern Hemp Co. is a current sponsor of RVA Magazine. This story was produced independently and without editorial control or influence. RVA Magazine began covering Virginia’s cannabis industry earlier this year, and support from Redfern and several other companies in the industry helps make continued reporting on issues like this...
Editor’s Note: Following our recent coverage of Virginia’s cannabis market, where independent retailers face mounting pressure from enforcement and monopolistic lobbying, Max Jackson, founder of Cannabis Wise Guys and a presenter at the recent Virginia Cannabis Oversight Commission, has the following outline what new operators...
Editor’s note: A quick distinction matters here. When Virginia lawmakers talk about “cannabis,” they’re really talking about two overlapping but very different markets. Hemp, low-THC cannabis that’s federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill signed by President Trump, is what thousands of small Virginia retailers currently sell in the form of...
When Virginia lawmakers convened at the Capitol last week to hear testimony on how to roll out a retail cannabis market, the room was filled with charts, tax models, and plenty of projections about how much money legalization might generate. Depending on the structure, Virginia could see anywhere from tens of millions to hundreds of millions in...
A former Richmond smoke shop owner breaks his silence on selective enforcement, shady distributors, and the regulatory loopholes driving Virginia’s booming gray market. In neighborhoods across Richmond, it’s hard to miss them: brightly lit vape shops glowing with LED signage, open late, their shelves lined with flavored vapes, glass pipes, and...
