Virginia Senate Bill 621 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: Introduced on January 14 2022 - 25% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2022-02-04 - Incorporated by Rehabilitation and Social Services
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Retail sale of cannabis products by certain pharmaceutical processors; sunset. Allows certain pharmaceutical processors to, under the oversight of the Board of Pharmacy, sell cannabis products at retail to unregistered persons who are 21 years of age or older without the need for a written certification. The bill provides that such sales will be subject to existing Board of Pharmacy regulations and other requirements set forth in the bill. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors engaging in such sales to collect a 21 percent excise tax, to be deposited into the general fund, and pay a $1 million fee, to be deposited into the account of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority and used to assist independent cannabis retailers located in designated rural and urban opportunity zones. The bill also requires such pharmaceutical processors to submit and comply with a plan describing how the pharmaceutical processor will, in its health service area, educate consumers about responsible consumption of cannabis products and incubate independent cannabis retailers or support and educate persons that wish to participate in the cannabis market. The bill directs the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to promulgate regulations governing sales, cultivation, extraction, processing, manufacturing, wholesaling, and other related activities conducted pursuant to the provisions of the bill and provides that, upon the effective date of such regulations, oversight of such activities shall transfer from the Board of Pharmacy to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill expires when pharmaceutical processors engaging in the sale of cannabis products pursuant to the provisions of the bill are authorized by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to apply for and be granted licenses to cultivate, manufacture, wholesale, and sell at retail to consumers 21 years of age or older retail marijuana and retail marijuana products. Retail sale of cannabis products by certain pharmaceutical processors; sunset. Allows certain pharmaceutical processors to, under the oversight of the Board of Pharmacy, sell cannabis products at retail to unregistered persons who are 21 years of age or older without the need for a written certification. The bill provides that such sales will be subject to existing Board of Pharmacy regulations and other requirements set forth in the bill. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors engaging in such sales to collect a 21 percent excise tax, to be deposited into the general fund, and pay a $1 million fee, to be deposited into the account of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority and used to assist independent cannabis retailers located in designated rural and urban opportunity zones. The bill also requires such pharmaceutical processors to submit and comply with a plan describing how the pharmaceutical processor will, in its health service area, educate consumers about responsible consumption of cannabis products and incubate independent cannabis retailers or support and educate persons that wish to participate in the cannabis market. The bill directs the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to promulgate regulations governing sales, cultivation, extraction, processing, manufacturing, wholesaling, and other related activities conducted pursuant to the provisions of the bill and provides that, upon the effective date of such regulations, oversight of such activities shall transfer from the Board of Pharmacy to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill expires when pharmaceutical processors engaging in the sale of cannabis products pursuant to the provisions of the bill are authorized by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to apply for and be granted licenses to cultivate, manufacture, wholesale, and sell at retail to consumers 21 years of age or older retail marijuana and retail marijuana products.

Cannabis products; retail sales by certain pharmaceutical processors.

Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant [R]

2022-02-04 - Senate - Senate: Incorporated by Rehabilitation and Social Services (Y: 15 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2022-01-20 - Senate - Senate: Rereferred from Education and Health (12-Y 0-N) (Y: 12 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2022-02-04	Senate	Incorporated by Rehabilitation and Social Services
2022-01-20	Senate	Assigned Rehab sub: Cannabis
2022-01-20	Senate	Rereferred to Rehabilitation and Social Services
2022-01-20	Senate	Rereferred from Education and Health (12-Y 0-N)
2022-01-14	Senate	Referred to Committee on Education and Health
2022-01-14	Senate	Presented and ordered printed 22104373D

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+sum+SB621
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB621+hil
Amendment	https://committees.lis.virginia.gov/pdfs/drafts/22104588D.pdf
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+oth+SB621F122+PDF
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+S04V0040+SB0621
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+S09V0039+SB0621