To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: On April 7, 2021, a majority of both houses of the Virginia legislature voted to legalize adult recreational use of cannabis. The approval made Virginia the 16th U.S. state – and the third state this year – to legalize adult recreational use of cannabis. Under the new law, home cultivation and personal possession of cannabis will become legal July 1, 2021, but retail sales will not begin until January 1, 2024. Virginia Senate Bill 1406/House Bill 2312 legalizes the retail sale of cannabis products to adults over the age of 21 and establishes the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to oversee the cultivation, manufacture, wholesale, and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products. The bill also permits private cultivation of up to four cannabis plants for personal use and enables individuals to petition for suspended or modified sentences for past marijuana convictions or for sealing of past marijuana conviction records. Possession of more than a pound of cannabis in a public place, unless permitted by license, remains a felony, while public possession of an amount between an ounce and a pound will be subject to a fine of $25.