Virginia Cannabis Laws: Adult Possession, 2027 Retail Plan, Medical Registration and Licenses

The Virginia State Capitol in Richmond with white columns and a red flower bed in front — The Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, where lawmakers are working on the retail market. Photo by Ron Cogswell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped and resized.

Last verified November 13, 2026. Facts come from the agency or source linked on this page. Where sources conflict or we could not confirm something, we say so.

What Adults Can Do in Virginia Today
The July 2027 Retail Plan
Medical Cannabis Registration in Virginia
Open a Dispensary
Timeline
FAQ
Related Reading

Virginia at a Glance

Adult PossessionLegal for adults 21 and older. Sources disagree on the carry limit: the Code and the Cannabis Control Authority show 2 ounces, while the governor's June 2026 release calls the current limit 1 ounce.

Home Grow4 plants per household at your main residence.

Retail SalesNot yet. A June 16, 2026 deal targets July 1, 2027.

Medical Registration$50 to register and $50 to renew. Voluntary.

Dispensary LicensesDraft rules show a 350 store cap, a lottery, and applications opening Feb. 1, 2027.

Virginia Medical Cannabis Checklist

Find a practitioner licensed by the Board of Medicine: a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice nurse.
Get a written certification that cannabis may help a condition you have been diagnosed with.
Register with the Cannabis Control Authority if you want a patient registration. Registration is voluntary.
Pay the $50 registration fee, then $50 each year to renew.
Buy only from a Virginia pharmaceutical processor dispensing facility.

Card Cost Planner

Add up card fees over the years you plan to hold a Virginia card.

Years you plan to hold a card

Renewal Date Finder

Enter your approval date to estimate when it expires.

Approval date

What Adults Can Do in Virginia Today

Virginia legalized simple possession and home growing in 2021 but never opened a legal retail market. That gap is why the state is still working on a store system five years later.

Possession: the current Code text and the Cannabis Control Authority FAQ put the limit at 2 ounces away from your home. Older 2021 materials and the governor's June 2026 release describe 1 ounce. The sources do not agree, so check the Code before you carry.
Sharing: adults can share up to 1 ounce with other adults without a civil or criminal penalty, as long as no money changes hands.
Home grow: 4 plants per household, not per person, at your main residence. A household means everyone who lives in the residence.
Public use: smoking or consuming marijuana in a public place is prohibited, and so is offering it to someone else in public.

The July 2027 Retail Plan

Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed a standalone retail bill in May 2026. On June 16, 2026 she and lawmakers announced a compromise to pass retail sales through the budget process.

Sales start July 1, 2027. License applications open Feb. 1, 2027.
A cap of 350 retail licenses.
A 6 percent state tax at launch, rising to 8 percent after July 1, 2029. Localities can add 1 to 3.5 percent.
The possession limit rises from 1 ounce to 2 ounces, according to the release.
Stores must sit at least 1,000 feet from schools, hospitals, playgrounds and drug treatment facilities.
The Cannabis Control Authority takes over hemp oversight from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the 25 to 1 hemp loophole ends.

The release calls this proposed legislation. We did not find a source confirming final budget passage, so treat the dates as planned. Our 2027 rollout explainer tracks the details.

Medical Cannabis Registration in Virginia

The Cannabis Control Authority runs the patient program. Virginia does not use a fixed list of qualifying conditions. A practitioner decides whether cannabis may help a condition or disease you have been diagnosed with.

Eligible practitioners are physicians licensed by the Board of Medicine, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses jointly licensed by the Boards of Nursing and Medicine.
A written certification can last up to one year.
The Authority's fee schedule lists $50 for initial patient registration and $50 for annual renewal. Registration is voluntary.
Our sources did not settle whether the Board of Pharmacy still handles any part of registration, so use the Authority's patient page for current steps.

Press reports say the governor signed a bill in 2026 allowing medical cannabis use in hospital settings. We did not confirm the bill number.

Opening a Dispensary in Virginia

Opens Feb. 1, 2027 (draft rules) Regulator: Virginia Cannabis Control Authority

Virginia's retail license rules are still in draft. The Cannabis Control Authority can accept applications from Feb. 1, 2027, with a 350 store cap and a lottery if qualified applicants outnumber licenses. Social equity applicants, called impact licensees, get their own lottery drawn first. A December vote is expected to finalize the fee schedule, so do not treat any figure as final.

License	Application Fee	License Fee	Renewal	Notes
Retail store (draft)	$4,000	$20,000 initial authorization	$15,000 per year	Draft fee schedule from Sept. 9, 2026. Impact licensees may request reduced or waived fees.

What to Plan For

A lottery picks winners if qualified applicants outnumber the 350 licenses, and impact licensees are drawn first.
Stores must be at least 1,000 feet from schools, hospitals, playgrounds and drug treatment facilities.
One law firm reports different figures ($5,000 application, $80,000 permit, 200 licenses for new entrants before 2029). That conflicts with the other sources, so rely on the Authority's final rules.

Startup Budget Planner

The sourced state fees are filled in. Enter your own quotes for the rest. We do not estimate build-out or inventory because they vary by site and operator.

Retail application fee (draft): $4,000
CCA draft, Sept. 9, 2026.
Initial authorization (draft): $20,000
Annual renewal is $15,000 in the draft.

Lease deposit and build-outSecurity and technologyOpening inventoryInsurance and legalWorking capitalLocal permits and fees

Fees are only part of the cost. Federal law still applies to cannabis businesses, so talk to a cannabis attorney and an accountant before you commit money. Fee figures come from the sources below and change, so confirm them with the regulator. Related reading: CannaWize Business Desk, 280E and Schedule III for Cannabis Businesses, Cannabis Banking Costs and the GAO Report, Licensing Lawsuits and State Markets.

Business sources:

How Virginia Compares


Arizona	Legal	Active	$150 (card term not stated)	Not stated	Fees disputed
Arkansas	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	1 year	Fees not found
California	Legal	Optional county card	Varies by county	Varies	$1,000 + $2,500 to $96,000
Colorado	Legal	Active	$52 per year	1 year	About $3,120 state + local
Florida	Not legal	Active	$75 per year	1 year	No window open (Oct. 2026 guide)
Georgia	Not legal	Active	$75 from Dec. 5, 2026	Not stated	$5,000 + tiered fees
Illinois	Legal	Active	$50 per year	1 to 3 years	$5,000 + $60,000
Louisiana	Not legal	Active	Not found	Up to 12 months	Limited permits
Massachusetts	Legal	Active	Free registration	Not stated	$1,500 + $10,000
Michigan	Legal	Active	$40 per two years	2 years	$3,000 + $15,000
Missouri	Legal	Active	$28.92 renewal per three years	3 years	Microbusiness lottery, about $1,637
New Jersey	Legal	Active	Free digital, $10 printed	2 years	Conditional route, $1,000 up front
New Mexico	Legal	Active	Not found	Not found	$2,500 per year (reported)
New York	Legal	Active	No state fee	Not stated	$1,000 + $7,000
North Carolina	Not legal	None	No program	Not applicable	No state license
Ohio	Legal	Active	$50 per year	1 year	Capped at 400
Oklahoma	Not legal	Active	$100 per two years	2 years	Moratorium to Aug. 1, 2028
Pennsylvania	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Closed per one 2026 guide
Texas	Not legal	Active	See guide	See guide	See guide
Virginia	Legal, no stores yet	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Opens Feb. 1, 2027 (draft)

Virginia Cannabis Timeline

2021Virginia legalizes simple possession and home growing.
May 2026Gov. Spanberger vetoes the standalone retail bill.
June 16, 2026Governor and lawmakers announce a budget-process deal for retail sales.
Sept. 9, 2026Draft retail license fee schedule published by the Cannabis Control Authority.
Feb. 1, 2027Planned date license applications open.
July 1, 2027Planned start of retail sales.
July 1, 2029State tax planned to rise from 6 to 8 percent.

Virginia Cannabis Bills

Vetoed Standalone retail bill: Vetoed by Gov. Spanberger in May 2026.
Proposed Budget-process retail deal: Announced June 16, 2026. Final passage not confirmed.
Enacted Medical cannabis in hospitals: Press reports say the governor signed it in 2026. Bill number not confirmed.

See every state in the cannabis bill tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions About Virginia Cannabis Laws

Is marijuana legal in Virginia?

Possession and home growing are legal for adults 21 and older, but there is no legal retail market yet. A June 2026 deal aims to start sales July 1, 2027.

How much marijuana can I carry in Virginia?

The current Code text and the Cannabis Control Authority FAQ say 2 ounces away from home. The governor's June 2026 release describes the current limit as 1 ounce. Check the Code before relying on either number.

How many plants can I grow?

Four plants per household at your main residence. The limit applies to the household, not each adult.

Do I need a medical card in Virginia?

Registration is voluntary. A practitioner certification costs whatever the practitioner charges, and the Authority's registration fee is $50 initially and $50 annually.

When will Virginia dispensaries open?

The plan calls for retail sales to begin July 1, 2027, with license applications opening Feb. 1, 2027. We could not confirm that the budget deal has passed.

How much does a Virginia retail license cost?

Draft rules list a $4,000 application fee, a $20,000 initial authorization and a $15,000 annual renewal. A December vote is expected to finalize them.