Cannabis control; establishes framework for creation of retail marijuana market, penalties, report.

The committee proposing the substitute was changed from the House Committee on General Laws to the House Committee on Appropriations.

The proposal date was updated from February 24, 2026, to February 27, 2026.

The bill number was changed from 26108519D to 26108819D.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the text layout and spacing.

The committee proposing the substitute was changed from the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations to the House Committee on General Laws, indicating a procedural shift in how the bill is being processed.

A draft date of 2/24/2026 was added to the General Laws version, which was absent in the Finance version.

The specific date 'February 12, 2026' for the proposal was removed in the General Laws version, likely to be filled in later or updated.

Changed the penalty for possessing more than four but no more than 10 marijuana plants at home from a Class 3 misdemeanor to a civil penalty of $250 for a first offense.

Removed the criminal penalty for possessing between 11 and 49 marijuana plants at home, which was previously a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Added new sections regarding local marijuana taxes and fees, expanding the bill's applicability to local government revenue collection.

Updated the list of Code of Virginia sections to be amended to include new tax-related sections and removed repealed sections.

Changed the effective date for certain closed meeting provisions from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2026, and adjusted the committee proposing the bill from Courts of Justice to Finance and Appropriations.

Increased the maximum canopy size for Tier I marijuana cultivation facilities from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet and introduced a new Tier V license for facilities up to 35,000 square feet.

Clarified that THC limits for edible marijuana products apply to the total amount in a package rather than per serving.

Established a mandatory five-year holding period for impact licensees, preventing them from selling or transferring controlling interests for five years from the date of issuance.

Changed the Senate committee responsible for the bill from Rehabilitation and Social Services to Courts of Justice.

Adjusted the criteria for impact license applicants to include specific residency and education requirements related to historically economically disadvantaged communities.

Removed the 'Approved' designation and the extensive list of sections related to hemp and the full cannabis control framework, suggesting these areas may not be included in this specific legislative package.

Changed the effective date for closed meeting provisions from July 1, 2026, to January 1, 2026, accelerating the implementation of those rules.

Altered the formatting and structure of the bill header and section listings to reflect its status as a substitute bill proposed by the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services.

The bill status changed from 'Introduced' (January 2026) to 'Enrolled' (Approved), indicating the legislation has passed all legislative stages and is now effective law.

The enrolled version includes amendments to additional sections (3.2-4113, 3.2-4116, 3.2-5145.2:1, 3.2-5145.4, 4.1-103, 4.1-105, 54.1-3401, 15.2-912.4, 18.2-371.2) that were not listed in the initial introduction, broadening the bill's impact on hemp and related regulations.

New sections (4.1-1602.1, 4.1-1700 through 4.1-1705, 4.1-1407) and a new Chapter 17 were added to the Code of Virginia in the enrolled version, expanding the regulatory framework beyond what was initially proposed.

The repeal of Article 4 (§§ 3.2-4122 through 3.2-4126) of Chapter 41.1 of Title 3.2 was explicitly added to the enrolled version's list of repeals, clarifying the removal of specific hemp-related provisions.

Minor formatting and numbering adjustments were made throughout the text to align with official legislative formatting standards for enrolled bills.