Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is planning to veto legislation that would create a legalized marijuana marketplace, a source told WTOP.

Spanberger sent the plan that passed through the Virginia General Assembly this winter back to lawmakers with dozens of proposed changes. But the state officials opposed over 40 of them and sent the legislation back to her desk.

WTOP has contacted Spanberger’s office for comment and details on the timeline for the veto announcement. She has until Saturday to act on pending legislation.

Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a similar plan to create the legalized marketplace, but Democrats in Virginia anticipated Spanberger would sign it.

Lawmakers previously OK’d a plan allowing adults to legally have up to an ounce of marijuana and creating a path to grow up to four plants inside homes. However, there hasn’t been a formal marketplace, a step some leaders say facilitated the creation of an illicit market for cannabis in Virginia.

The proposal that lawmakers approved would have had the retail market opening Jan. 1, with oversight from the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Anyone who is 21 or older would be able to buy marijuana, and there would be 350 retail stores statewide.

But Spanberger called for retail sales to begin July 1, 2027, and proposed a series of changes to criminal penalties tied to marijuana possession. She also proposed changing the penalty for public consumption to a Class 4 misdemeanor. It’s currently a civil penalty.

A separate proposed change would have reduced the personal possession limit to 2 ounces instead of 2.5 ounces.

After Spanberger shared her substitutes last month, Del. Paul Krizek, who sponsored the House version of the bill, said the changes impose “high barriers to entry, resulting in revenue losses, delayed economic activity opportunity for market participants and the elimination of investment to small businesses.”

In sending the adjustments to the legislative body for consideration, Spanberger said, “We are working to set up a marketplace that is controlled, regulated, and responsible — because legal markets only succeed when there are clear guardrails and enforcement to back it up.”

The General Assembly could explore a path to a legalized marijuana marketplace again during next year’s session.

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