Virginia Beach considers creating cannabis task force before retail sales are legalized statewide

VIRGINIA BEACH — Tourists expect to see souvenir shops in the resort area, but may have a different reaction to an abundance of stores peddling marijuana.

That’s the concern of some members of the city’s resort advisory commission, which makes recommendations to the City Council. The group has shared its worries with Councilman Guy Tower, who recently asked his colleagues to consider forming a task force ahead of any future state legislation.

Possession and recreational use of cannabis is legal in Virginia, but purchasing it in stores is not.

Attorney Debra Bryan, who serves as the city’s legislative affairs director, kicked off the discussion at Tuesday’s City Council meeting in a rundown of hot topics expected at the 2023 Virginia General Assembly.

“The best thing would be to come up with what your (cannabis) policies are, and then we can work it from there, and as individual bills come up I can bring them forward to you,” Bryan told council members.

Last month, Norfolk city planners proposed that cannabis-related facilities be required to obtain conditional use permits and must be at least 1,000 feet from any school or daycare.

“We need to get on the same page and then pursue it,” Virginia Beach Councilman Michael Berlucchi said of Norfolk’s plans.

Tower said he’s particularly concerned about how retail sales will affect the resort area, where he said there are “lots of visitors with lots of different ideas about consumption of cannabis products, I’m sure, coming from different backgrounds.”

Randy Thompson of the resort advisory commission said the group wants to know the city’s options for controlling the number of cannabis retail stores in the resort area.

“We want to make sure that we have the right guidelines in place,” he said by phone Thursday.

Tower thinks a task force would provide guidance to the City Council.

“Businesses that I’ve talked to would like to be at the table,” he said at the meeting. “I just want to make sure the city is fully engaged in this process and not totally reactive.”

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com