Virginia’s cannabis debate has reached another difficult crossroads. Some hemp and CBD retailers, represented by groups like the Cannabis Small Business Association (CSBA), are calling for a veto of the current retail cannabis framework because of proposed THC limits that would reclassify many hemp products, that include THC, as regulated cannabis.
Under the proposal, hemp products containing more than 2mg of THC per package would fall under Virginia’s cannabis regulations. Opponents argue this would remove a large percentage of products currently sold in hemp and CBD stores.
That concern is understandable. Regulatory change is difficult for any business. But it is also important to recognize the reality of operating in an emerging and rapidly changing industry.
The cannabis and hemp industries have existed in a constant state of regulatory uncertainty for years. Businesses operating in this space should have always understood that the rules could change significantly, especially when selling intoxicating THC products through loopholes that lawmakers were openly debating closing.
This is not unique to cannabis. Every regulated industry faces periods of transition. Packaging standards change. Labeling requirements change. Ingredients become restricted. Entire product categories shift between regulatory frameworks. Businesses that survive long term are usually the ones that prepare for adaptation rather than assuming current conditions will remain permanent.
Virginia’s proposed changes do not eliminate demand for THC products. They change where and how those products can legally be sold.
That distinction matters.
Some advocates have framed this as “putting 2,000 businesses out of business.” But that argument overlooks the thousands of Virginians who have spent years waiting for the legal adult-use cannabis market they were promised, including prospective growers, processors, retailers, delivery operators, testing labs, and ancillary businesses that have been preparing to enter a regulated system.
For many of those future operators, the current unregulated intoxicating hemp market has effectively frozen the launch of the legal cannabis industry before it even began.
A product moving from a convenience shelf or hemp retailer into a licensed cannabis dispensary is not the destruction of an industry. In many cases, it is the transition of a product into the regulatory structure lawmakers intended for intoxicating cannabis products in the first place.
That does not mean hemp businesses are the enemy. Many are local businesses that helped normalize cannabis culture during a time when Virginia lacked a functioning adult-use market. Some have operated responsibly and professionally. Many will likely evolve successfully into the regulated cannabis industry as licensing opportunities expand.
And importantly, many Virginians do support broader retail access in the future.
Cannabis infused beverages, low-dose products, and other adult-use items may eventually be in grocery stores, restaurants, or other general retail settings, much like alcohol today. But expecting Virginia to begin with the most commercially open version of cannabis legalization immediately is probably unrealistic.
Most states moved in phases.
Virginia is still trying to establish its foundational regulated market, including licensing, testing, enforcement, taxation, packaging standards, and product tracking. Expanding broad retail access before that system is fully operational could create even more instability and confusion.
The larger concern should not be whether regulations exist, but who benefits from them.
Critics often argue that tighter regulations automatically hand the market to MSOs and large corporations. That risk is real, and Virginians should absolutely remain vigilant about protecting opportunities for small businesses, independent operators, and local growers.
But delaying or blocking the launch of the regulated market altogether does not solve that problem either.
In fact, continued delays may strengthen the very corporations critics claim to oppose, because large companies are usually the best positioned to survive prolonged uncertainty, legal ambiguity, and shifting compliance standards.
Virginia should focus on creating a fair, transparent, and accessible regulated market that allows small businesses to compete, adapt, and grow over time.
The goal should not be preserving loopholes forever. The goal should be building a sustainable cannabis industry that gives Virginians a real pathway into the legal market while still leaving room for future expansion and reform.
The industry is evolving. Businesses that prepare for change will be the ones most likely to survive it.
I urge my readers to reach out to the CSBA and tell them to stop their efforts to have the bill vetoed.
