Recreational marijuana could arrive in Va. by September

By John Aaron
February 16, 2022 | 11:39 AM

It could only be a matter of months until adults can buy marijuana in Virginia without a prescription.

Sales of recreational marijuana could begin this September – before the full legal market opens in 2024 – under a bill passed by the state Senate.

“It ensures that consumers can purchase safe, regulated products legally until the full market is open,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria.

The measure must get approval from the state’s House of Delegates.

Under the bill, adults would be able to buy marijuana from an existing dispensary, without a prescription, come September.

Under current law, adults need a prescription to buy marijuana, though they may legally possess up to an ounce of it.

Breaking the silence around suicide: A Virginia mother shares thoughts on prevention

By Kate Ryan
September 1, 2026 | 4:22 AM

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Betsy Stephenson, an Alexandria, Virginia, resident and a mother who lost her son to suicide, wants people to talk about it. "By not talking about suicide, we are not going to make it go away. In fact, I think that we could inadvertently give it a little more power than it deserves," she told WTOP. One of the things that Stephenson wants families to know is that people who are struggling can appear to be doing well. "You can be very high-functioning as a depressed person or an anxious person," she said. "You can be connected socially. You can be doing well at school or work. You can be making plans, smiling, laughing, engaged, but still be struggling deeply, you know, cosmically, inside."

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