Virginia Beach residents have until Tuesday, October 20, to tell the city where they think cannabis shops should and shouldn't be allowed to operate. The city is drafting regulations on where and when retail cannabis businesses can set up shop, and it's turning to an online survey to gather public opinion before those rules take shape.
The survey is part of a broader push described by The Virginian-Pilot, which reports that responses will be used by the city's Cannabis Advisory Task Force, a body that advises Virginia Beach City Council on cannabis consumption, sale, manufacturing and cultivation. Virginia Beach expects to have its final city recommendations ready by February 2027. That timeline lines up with the state's own calendar: Virginia approved legislation this year legalizing retail marijuana sales, and as WAVY reports, the city is preparing for regulated retail sales beginning July 1, 2027.
Virginia Beach isn't alone in racing the clock. Chesapeake City Council adopted a resolution in late September asking its planning commission to develop zoning and land-use rules for cannabis businesses, according to WTKR, which notes the city expects final zoning rules in place before retail sales begin next July. Henrico County, meanwhile, is weighing its own zoning changes, with a proposed ordinance that would keep marijuana retail stores and microbusinesses at least 1,000 feet from schools, religious institutions, childcare centers, playgrounds or public parks, per Henrico Citizen.
What the State Allows, and What Localities Can Still Control
Under Virginia law, localities cannot block recreational cannabis stores from opening within their borders, but they can enact zoning and location ordinances that shape where and how those businesses operate. Statewide, the law permits up to 350 recreational marijuana stores, 100 microbusinesses and five tier V cultivation facilities, figures confirmed by the Virginian-Pilot's reporting on the Cannabis Control Authority's draft regulations. State rules also require that cannabis operations sit more than 1,000 feet from a school or daycare.
Virginia Beach's own survey asks residents whether separation from schools, childcare facilities and parks should receive added emphasis beyond that state floor, and what minimum distance between retail businesses themselves might be appropriate. It also lists compatibility with nearby residential neighborhoods, public safety, traffic, parking and building appearance as zoning considerations the city is weighing. Localities can also adopt ordinances limiting retail sales hours, and Virginia Beach is considering store hours of Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cultivation Districts and the Indoor-Growing Question
The survey places commercial cultivation under consideration within the city's industrial and agricultural districts, and it asks whether cultivation businesses should require a conditional use permit or be permitted by right. The distinction matters procedurally: conditional use permits require planning commission review at a public hearing followed by City Council approval, while by-right approval only requires administrative review without a public hearing.
City official LaTonya Warren expects more indoor cultivation than open-space growing in Virginia Beach, citing reduced scent and added safety as factors favoring indoor operations. Regulators at the state level will ultimately decide the geographic distribution of retail licenses, even as cities like Virginia Beach work out the zoning details within their own borders.
Taxes, Fees and a Still-Unsettled Price Tag
Virginia Beach plans to implement the maximum local cannabis tax rate of 3.5%, according to city official Amanda Jarrett, though the move still requires a City Council vote. That local tax would come on top of the state's 6% cannabis tax and Virginia Beach's standard sales tax. The Cannabis Control Authority released its first draft of statewide regulations for prospective cannabis businesses, reported by pilotonline.com, and the agency plans to open license applications by February 1, 2027, according to Richmond BizSense.
Exactly how much it will cost businesses to operate remains murky. Richmond BizSense reports a $4,000 application fee, a one-time $20,000 first-year operating fee, and $15,000 in annual renewal fees for a retail-dedicated cannabis business. The Virginian-Pilot's figures differ on the renewal cost, citing a $4,000 application fee and $20,000 initial authorization fee but putting annual renewal and reinspection fees at $17,500. The Cannabis Control Authority's board is expected to approve a final version of the regulations in December, with rules taking effect early next year, per Richmond BizSense, which could settle the discrepancy once finalized.
Retail licenses are not expected to be part of the first phase of licenses the state makes available, and the Cannabis Control Authority expects to use lotteries for retail and cultivation licenses if applications outnumber what's available, according to the same Richmond BizSense report. For now, Virginia Beach's online survey remains open through October 20, giving residents a direct line into zoning decisions before the Cannabis Advisory Task Force sends its recommendations to City Council.
