Below is a draft letter to address the pay to play issue that Enactment Clause 47 causes. Please edit this and add your personal touch to make your point heard.
Email addresses to send this to: delpkrizek@house.virginia.gov maria@paulkrizek.com chelsea@marijuanajustice.org
Dear Paul Krizek,
I am a licensed Virginia hemp grower, processor, and handler. I am writing regarding Enactment Clause 47, which states:
“The CCA shall create a streamlined application process for no more than five industrial hemp processors or growers who are or who were previously registered with VDACS and in good standing with VDACS prior to forfeiting their registration or allowing their registration to expire.”
This provision creates an accelerated pathway into the forthcoming cannabis market for a very small group of former registrants who are permitted to reenter the system through a paid fast track.
While the broader licensing structure remains available to everyone, Clause 47 introduces a separate, preferential process that comes without transparency or public oversight in how those five operators are selected. This raises serious concerns around fairness, public trust, and equal access.
Many Virginia growers have:
• Continued working under VDACS regulations
• Paid all required licensing fees
• Conducted sampling and testing within state guidelines
• Maintained operations despite market volatility and shifting regulations
These operators have shown long term commitment to compliance and public safety, which should be the foundation of eligibility in the new regulated system.
Clause 47 instead prioritizes:
• Operators who left the regulatory program, and
• Those who possess enough capital to buy a faster route to licensure
Government decisions that control market access, especially in a limited licensing environment, must reflect merit and compliance, not simply financial capacity. Virginia should not establish a precedent where regulatory preference is available for purchase.
Fair access should be based on performance and responsibility, not monetary advantage.
I respectfully request that this clause be removed or amended to ensure any streamlined process is open to all compliant Virginia stakeholders, evaluated through clear standards, and subject to accountable selection criteria.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your service to Virginia’s agricultural and small business community.
Sincerely,
