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...
Lawmakers are clearing the way for use of the psychedelic mushroom compound psilocybin as a potential medical treatment, once a formulation is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Senate Bill 379 directs the state Board of Pharmacy to reschedule psilocybin consistent with the federal scheduling as soon as the FDA approves a formulation...
Virginia lawmakers have approved changes to the state’s long-standing food-to-alcohol sales requirement for restaurants, easing restrictions that many operators have said no longer reflect how the industry works. The legislation, HB975, passed during the 2026 General Assembly session and modifies the food-to-beverage ratio for businesses with...
State lawmakers will soon return to the Capitol after ending the General Assembly session without a budget, in part due to some debate whether to continue current tax breaks for data centers. The Democratic-led Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee put forth a budget that would end the tax exemption for data centers by 2027, and free up...
Early indicators suggest Virginians responded to a slate of proposed gun control legislation with a noticeable increase in firearm background checks. The bills mark one the most significant shifts in the state’s firearm laws in recent years, and build on previously adopted firearm regulations such as expanded background check...
Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine has been covering Virginia’s evolving hemp and cannabis regulations, including proposed changes to THC limits and retail licensing. The following is a guest opinion from a Virginia hemp business owner directly affected by SB 542. By Barbara Biddle Eight years ago, I made a leap of faith. I had no investors, no family...
Democrats and Republicans in the Virginia General Assembly were divided along party lines this session, but came together over some key issues. Out of nearly 2,400 bills introduced, 376 bills passed unanimously, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Most bills that passed unanimously or saw high levels of bipartisan cooperation...
Tim Cywinski and I got coffee and a bagel at Abi’s Books and Brews a couple weeks ago. The Iran War had just started, and the weariness was behind both of our eyes. He impressed on me that he had some fresh ideas, a great legacy of accomplishments, and is in need for some publicity for his campaign for United States Congress. Which seat?...
With a major cannabis bill now awaiting Governor Abigail Spanberger’s decision, Virginia hemp retailers, farmers, and small business advocates are urging her to step in before it becomes law. The Cannabis Small Business Association (CSBA) and a coalition of hemp businesses are calling on the governor to use her amendatory authority to revise key...
Two months ago, Adam Dunigan had no public digital footprint. Today, the former Marine and CIA case officer has built a social media following that exploded to more than 180,000 people in just a few weeks, fueled largely by a series of detailed video breakdowns of the growing conflict with Iran. In one viral stretch, Dunigan’s audience jumped...
