Virginia Senate Committee Unanimously Approves Bill to Update Medical Marijuana Labels and Authorize Home Delivery

Key Points
  • Virginia’s House Bill 391, updating medical marijuana labeling standards and allowing home delivery, received unanimous approval from the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee after already passing the House.
  • The bill requires edible and topical products to list total THC and CBD milligrams and per serving amounts, while inhalable products must display total THC and CBD percentages on labels.
  • Labeling must be complete, accurate, uniform, and include ingredient lists, serving sizes, usage directions, child safety warnings, and be available online through pharmaceutical processors.
  • The legislation permits delivery of medical marijuana to patients’ residences or workplaces, with strict compliance rules for delivery operations and prohibitions on deliveries to sensitive locations like schools and military bases.

Legislation to revise Virginia’s medical marijuana labeling standards and explicitly allow home delivery received unanimous approval today by the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee. The proposal has already passed the full House. House Bill 391 has already passed the full House of Delegates and now moves forward in the Senate with strong bipartisan support.

Filed by Delegate Carrie Coyner Askew (R), the proposal updates how potency information must appear on medical marijuana products, tailoring labeling requirements to the type of product being sold.

For edible and topical marijuana products, labels would be required to list the total milligrams of THC and CBD contained in the product, as well as the milligrams of each per serving. Inhalable products, by contrast, would be required to display the total percentage of THC and CBD.

The measure also strengthens overall labeling standards, requiring product labels to be complete, accurate, easily discernible and uniform across brands. Detailed ingredient lists, serving size information, directions for use and child safety warnings would also be required. In addition, labeling information must be made available on the pharmaceutical processor’s website.

Beyond labeling changes, the legislation makes clear that pharmaceutical processors and cannabis dispensing facilities may deliver marijuana products directly to registered patients. Deliveries would be allowed to a patient’s residence, temporary residence or place of business, but would remain prohibited at locations such as military bases, schools, child day centers, correctional facilities, the State Capitol and large public gatherings including festivals and sporting events.

The bill also outlines compliance requirements for delivery operations, including background checks, identification verification, vehicle security measures, GPS tracking and recordkeeping standards. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would have the authority to suspend or revoke delivery privileges for violations.

With unanimous committee approval secured, HB 391 now advances further in the Senate as lawmakers continue refining the state’s medical marijuana framework.