Virginia is looking for its first cannabis attorney after legalization

What you need to know when marijuana becomes legal in VA

Did you know in two weeks marijuana laws in Virginia will change? It will be legal for adults to smoke some and grow some.

VIRGINIA (FOX 5 DC) - With recreational marijuana use recently legalized, Virginia's attorney general is seeking applicants interested in serving as the state's first cannabis attorney.

The person hired for the position will serve as general counsel to the newly created Virginia Cannabis Control Authority and assist other state agencies with regulations and laws regarding cannabis, Attorney General Mark Herring's office said in a news release.

Earlier this year, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly voted to legalize the adult recreational use of marijuana. The new law took effect July 1, allowing adults 21 and older to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to four plants per household.

State officials are beginning the process of setting up the control authority, which will develop regulations for a legal marijuana marketplace expected to open on Jan. 1, 2024.

Herring's office noted in the news release that legalization is expected to affect a wide range of state agencies and have implications for numerous areas of law including criminal justice, healthcare and pharmacy, agriculture and land use, and taxation.

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Interested candidates can apply online.