Cannabis Market Takes Shape

Both houses of Virginia’s legislature passed bills this week to create a framework for the state’s retail cannabis market. Differences will need to be ironed out before a bill can be sent to Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who said she will sign it.

Each bill would limit retail locations to no more than 350 across the Commonwealth. The measures set different tax rates. The Senate bill proposes a 12.9% sales tax on cannabis and gives localities the option to add a 3% sales tax, while the House would set a 6% sales tax and also allow localities to add up to 3.5%.

Under the House version, sales could begin on Nov. 1 of this year, while the Senate would set a start date of Jan. 1, 2027. Neither version would allow cities and counties to opt out of allowing cannabis stores.

The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported 172,778 adult emergency room visits related to cannabis use between 2020 and 2024, more than 31,000 such visits each year.

New Curfew Hours Set in Virginia Beach

The Virginia Beach City Council moved its youth curfew an hour earlier, from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. Unaccompanied minors will not be allowed in public spaces between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

The curfew rule includes several exceptions, including for minors going to or from work, concerts, or religious events.

“VBPD will identify and focus on those young children, those 12, 13, 14, that are obviously underage,” Chief Paul Neudigate said, noting they will be taken to youth centers instead of police headquarters.

The new policy takes effect in March.

Officer Involved Shooting

Washington County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed 52-year-old Christopher Allen Smith after he allegedly threatened them with a knife.

The officers were serving an order at a home when an “altercation occurred between the subject and deputies,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

The deputies rendered medical aid until emergency medical services arrived, but the suspect died at the scene. An autopsy was scheduled for yesterday in Roanoke.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Spanberger will deliver the opposition response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday. (More)

➤ Tidewater: High school students in Norfolk and Portsmouth walked out of class on Wednesday to protest ICE policies. “We reminded [students] that while they have their First Amendment rights, they also must abide by School Board policy,” the principal of I.C. Norcom wrote to parents. (Details)

➤ Nokesville: Former Kettle Run High School teacher and assistant football coach Gary Robert Hix was released from jail. He pleaded guilty last year to soliciting explicit photographs from students and was sentenced to five years in prison. His sentence was suspended, except for the time served. He remained in prison for 261 days. (Details)

➤ Richmond: The House of Delegates will consider a measure that would end the observance of Daylight Saving Time in Virginia. The proposal passed the Senate this week. (More)

➤ Accomack County leaders asked the state to declare a fishery disaster amid a frigid winter that has made it difficult for fishing boats to operate. “The last time it was this cold for this long was probably the seventies,” Harbormaster Vernon Merritt said. (Details)

➤ Harrisonburg: The 2025 James Madison football program was named Sportsperson of the Year by the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. The team will be honored at the Hall’s 2026 Induction Weekend on April 25. (More)

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➤ Virginia Tech softball, ranked No. 20, has five games in three days at the Georgia Classic beginning today, including a pair against the No. 12 Bulldogs. (Schedule)

➤ Randolph-Macon, ranked No. 2 in DIII, ends its regular season schedule with a game at Bridgewater tomorrow. (Schedule)

➤ UVA women’s lacrosse, ranked No. 24, beat Liberty 17-8 for its first win of the season. (More)

➤ UVA women’s tennis toppled Virginia Tech this week, giving the Cavaliers the lead in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: Olympics | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Golf

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➤ Volvo will modernize its New River Valley plant, with plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars. The company has recalled scores of employees who were laid off last year. (Details)

➤ CoStar, a real estate company, announced a new round of layoffs at its Richmond office. The company said it’s “committed to supporting our employees through this transition and will provide resources and assistance.” (More)

➤ Boeing announced plans to relocate its Defense, Space, & Security headquarters from Arlington to the St. Louis, Missouri region. (Details)

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➤ Charlottesville welcomed the 100th anniversary of Jefferson High School with banners along Main Street. “The African-American population called for a high school in 1875, and they finally got one in 1926,” the executive director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center said. (Details)

➤ The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office will launch its Inside The Academy initiative next month. Attendees can learn how potential deputies are trained. (More)

➤ The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality urged everyone to reduce water use by 10% following a long period of below-average rainfall in the Commonwealth. (Details)

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What curfew time should cities set for teenagers?

1. 10 p.m.
2. 11 p.m.
3. Midnight
4. No curfew

Thursday’s Results:

Have you received a check for unclaimed property? 

1. No: 52%
2. Yes: 25%
3. Not Yet!: 23%

Who is Fauquier County named for?

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