SB 543 VA

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Marijuana and hemp products; enforcement. Amends various provisions of law to increase enforcement and penalties related to the illegal sale of marijuana or marijuana products by persons licensed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, and the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA). The bill also requires the Board of Directors of the CCA to create and require a decal for retail marijuana store licensees to prominently display on the premises of such store that allows consumers to electronically verify the validity of such store's license from the Board. The bill requires such decal to be displayed by licensees, with a civil penalty of $10,000 for each day that such decal is not displayed in the establishment. The bill also creates a $10,000 civil penalty for creating or falsifying such decal. The bill allows the Board to issue a notice of violation and order to cease unlicensed activity to any person who is engaged in the cultivation, processing, distribution, or selling of marijuana or marijuana products in violation of current law, and if the Board issues such notice and order, it may also order the seizure of such marijuana or marijuana products. Any person who intentionally removes such notice and order or sticker without authorization of the Board is subject to a civil penalty prescribed by the Board, not to exceed $5,000. The bill also specifies that the Chief Executive Officer of the Board or investigators appointed by him shall be sworn to enforce the provisions of the Cannabis Control Act and Board regulations and have the authority to investigate violations of the statutes and regulations the CCA is required to enforce. The bill also revises certain provisions related the assessment of civil penalties against manufacturers and sellers of certain industrial hemp extracts and foods containing industrial hemp extracts and makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to sell or offer for sale a substance intended for human consumption, orally or by inhalation, that (i) contains more than 0.3 percent total tetrahydrocannabinol or (ii) contains more than two milligrams of total tetrahydrocannabinol per package. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to analyze the current efforts in the Commonwealth to combat the sale of illicit cannabis products and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations, on General Laws, and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations, on General Laws and Technology, on Rehabilitation and Social Services, and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2026.

• Lashrecse D. Aird Democratic · primary

1. Jan 13, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105066D · upper
2. Jan 13, 2026 Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services · upper
3. Jan 23, 2026 Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) · upper
4. Jan 30, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543) · upper
5. Feb 12, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (13-Y 1-N 1-A) · upper
6. Feb 13, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107980D-S1 · upper
7. Feb 13, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
8. Feb 13, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
9. Feb 13, 2026 Passed by for the day · upper
10. Feb 16, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543) · upper
11. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · upper
12. Feb 16, 2026 Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to · upper
13. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) · upper
14. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A) · upper
15. Feb 19, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543) · upper
16. Feb 24, 2026 Placed on Calendar · lower
17. Feb 24, 2026 Read first time · lower
18. Feb 24, 2026 Referred to Committee on General Laws · lower
19. Feb 25, 2026 Assigned HGL sub: ABC/Gaming · lower
20. Mar 3, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
21. Mar 3, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 1-N) · lower
22. Mar 3, 2026 Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) (17-Y 4-N) · lower
23. Mar 5, 2026 Read second time · lower
24. Mar 6, 2026 Read third time · lower
25. Mar 6, 2026 committee amendment agreed to · lower
26. Mar 6, 2026 Engrossed by House as amended · lower
27. Mar 6, 2026 Passed House with amendment (66-Y 32-N 0-A) · lower
28. Mar 10, 2026 General Laws Amendment rejected by Senate · upper
29. Mar 11, 2026 House insisted on amendments · lower
30. Mar 11, 2026 House requested conference committee · lower
31. Mar 12, 2026 Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
32. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
33. Mar 12, 2026 Senate Conferees: Aird, VanValkenburg, Stanley · upper
34. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
35. Mar 12, 2026 House Conferees: Krizek, Torian, Wiley · lower
36. Mar 14, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
37. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (65-Y 30-N 0-A) · lower
38. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A) · upper
39. Mar 24, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543) · upper
40. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · upper
41. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB543ER) · upper
42. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
43. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
44. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · upper
45. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
46. Apr 3, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB543) · upper
47. Apr 13, 2026 Governor's recommendation received by Senate · executive

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

• Governor's Recommendation · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Conference Report · HTML
• Conference Report Substitute · PDF
• Conference Report Substitute · HTML
• House Amendment · HTML
• General Laws Amendment · HTML
• General Laws Amendment · HTML
• ABC/Gaming Subcommittee Amendment · HTML
• Finance and Appropriations Substitute · PDF
• Finance and Appropriations Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML