Buy It in Virginia, Consume It in Virginia, and Leave It in Virginia: The Golden Rule for 2027

The state of Virginia, on June 29, mandated cannabis as a permissible retail use, submitting it to a regulatory framework under the oversight of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. While maintaining zoning power and the right to make decisions based on land use, because of the state mandate, municipalities like Front Royal do not have the authority to prohibit the use. At a work session on September 2, Chairman Allen Neel explained to the other planning commissioners the scope of their authority. Rather than writing a “welcome cannabis” ordinance to pass to the Town Council, they can develop an ordinance that preserves Front Royal’s character, protects the safety of children, and otherwise keeps a volatile issue tightly reined under the special-use permitting process.

The Town Planning Commission met for a work session on September 2. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh

The commissioners operate within a time frame. Cannabis sales are scheduled to begin on July 1, 2027, with license applications opening on February 1. Under such a constraint, it is advisable to develop the ordinance and pass it to the council as soon as possible. That way, there will be something regulatory in place so that the process does not go by right on February 1.

The general assembly has capped the number of cannabis retailers statewide at 350. Thus, beginning February 1, those following closely will be guaranteed to see fierce competition. In Front Royal, where the oversupply of vape shops has been a source of lament, it will be curious to see which ones, if any, gain a license. Perhaps they were established for such a necessity.

Deputy Zoning Administrator John Ware presented an application for a short-term rental to the commissioners.

Commissioners will be looking at buffering, taxation, odor elimination, signage, and a laundry list of other points they can control. Any manufacture or processing of cannabis, beyond what someone might grow for themselves privately, will likewise fall under the SUP process. One of the commission’s primary goals is to keep the financial benefit local to Front Royal rather than lining the pockets of outside parties. This aspect of the project could have an agricultural dimension.

A point raised by Vice-Chairman Megan Marrazzo: what prevents a cannabis retail business from setting up a tent at a community event like the Festival of Leaves, creating the impression that the Town sponsors that business, in the context of a family gathering where children are present? The commissioners will be considering questions like this one as they prepare to make a recommendation to the council.

One can probably guess without being told that the customer must be 21 or older. For a consenting adult, scientific research has suggested that cannabis has the potential to offset opium as a long-term strategy for regulating things like pain, mood, and appetite. To make it recreational certainly gives individuals more power over the regulation of their own bodies. There was a time when any moisturizer claiming to have health benefits – anything more than a cosmetic effect – were labeled drugs and banned from retail shelves. But that battle was won, and maybe this one will be too. It is vital for one’s safety to remember that taking cannabis one has purchased across state lines, even to another state that looks favorably on cannabis, remains an offense. So does consumption in a public area. It is an immensely private product.