Subcommittee reports substitute for HB 2485 to legalize retail cannabis for adults, 5–1

A Virginia House subcommittee voted to report a substitute for HB 2485, a bill to legalize and regulate retail cannabis sales to adults 21 and older, sending the measure to the Appropriations Committee by a 5–1 vote.

The substitute incorporates two technical amendments adopted at the hearing. One strikes an inappropriately added instance of the word “former” from a cross-reference to an existing distribution-of-marijuana crime section set to be repealed on May 1, 2026. The other removes language that would have added a class 2 misdemeanor in a section that was not intended to include that penalty.

Why it matters: The bill would move adult-use cannabis from the illicit market into a regulated retail framework, establish a state regulatory authority, set purchase and serving limits, create tax rules, and establish an equity-focused licensing program. Supporters told the subcommittee the changes would improve product safety and shift sales away from the illicit market; opponents warned increased commercial availability could worsen public-health harms.

Key provisions reported in the substitute

- Legal retail sales to adults 21 and older and related regulatory structure. Delegate Doug Krizek described the measure as “the bill to legalize and regulate the retail sale of cannabis [for] adults 21 and older.” - Purchase limit: Adults could purchase up to 2.5 ounces in a single transaction. Serving sizes would be capped at 10 milligrams THC per serving and no more than 100 milligrams THC per package. - Taxation:…