Virginia finally has a date. State budget legislation enacted in late June allows up to 350 cannabis shops to open across the state starting July 1, 2027, for adults 21 and older.
Regulators will begin accepting retail license applications on February 1, 2027. That's the next big milestone to watch, because it's when we'll start learning who wants in and where shops could land.
Some context: Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize adult possession and home growing back in 2021, but never set up a legal way to buy. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed retail bills. Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who took office in January 2026, campaigned on creating a retail market.
Why it matters: for five years Virginians have been allowed to have cannabis with no legal place to get it. That gap is about to close, and the next nine months will decide what the market looks like.