SB591:

Cannabis; shape prohibitions.

Bill Summary:

Marijuana; shape prohibitions; definitions of marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol. Modifies the definition of "marijuana" in several Code sections to (i) include any substance containing a total tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that exceeds 0.3 percent or more than 0.25 milligram of tetrahydrocannabinol per serving or more than one milligram per package and (ii) exclude industrial hemp that is possessed by a person who holds a hemp producer license issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or his agent; an industrial hemp extract that contains a tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of no greater than 0.3 percent and no more than 0.25 milligram of tetrahydrocannabinol per serving or more than one milligram per package at the time such industrial hemp extract is offered for retail sale and is derived from industrial hemp grown, dealt, or processed in compliance with state or federal law; and any drug product containing tetrahydrocannabinol that is approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and scheduled in the Drug Control Act by the Board of Pharmacy. The bill defines "tetrahydrocannabinol" to include any naturally occurring or synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol, including its salts, isomers, or salts of isomers. The bill removes references in the Code to delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol and amends numerous sections to accommodate for the definitional changes described above. The bill requires the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to promulgate regulations that prohibit the production and sale of retail marijuana and retail marijuana products that depict or are in the shape of a human, animal, vehicle, or fruit. The bill has staggered effective dates.