Legal marijauana bills not yet at agreement as House, Senate pass different bills again

(The Center Square) – The Virginia House and Senate are still at odds over how to legalize recreational marijuana in the commonwealth, which means the differences will likely need to be solved in a joint conference committee with lawmakers from both sides.

On Tuesday, the House and the Senate passed their own versions of the marijuana legalization legislation for a second time after receiving the other chamber’s proposal. Neither has yet to formally concede on any disagreements, which means they will need to be discussed in the joint conference committee unless one of the chambers yields to the other.

Both versions passed their respective chamber in a near-partisan vote with support from Democrats and opposition from Republicans.

Under both bills, the cultivation, transportation and sale of marijuana would be legal starting in 2024, but the date for the legality of possession differs. In the Senate version, possession would be legal by July of this year, but the House version would not legalize possession until 2024. Simple possession of marijuana is currently punished with a civil fine.

Some other key differences include a Senate provision that would allow localities to opt out. The Senate version also has fewer restrictions on the number of licenses that can be held.

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