Legal recreational marijuana advances, brings opportunity and concerns for Virginia vape shops

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia lawmakers passed legislation Friday night that would allow residents 21 and older to purchase recreational marijuana across the Commonwealth. If signed into law by Gove. Abigail Spanberger (D), it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

While the bill marks a milestone for many Virginians, some local business owners say they are not celebrating just yet.

Yemeni-American vape shop owners, who see the new law as an opportunity to expand into the cannabis industry, said a recent crackdown on vape shops has left them uncertain about their future.

"Through vape shops, a lot of these store owners have built proficiency, and I feel that they are the perfect people to inherit this new market … recreational hemp," said Mohamed Al-Asad, vice president of the Yemeni Economic Association, which represents 100 Yemeni-owned vape shops.

Al-Asad said that over the past six months, the city of Richmond has been working to regulate the industry through its "Operation Vaporize," resulting in nearly 68 shop closures.

"We feel most of them unwarranted," he said, adding that the crackdown has created uncertainty for owners looking to transition into the cannabis market.

One example is Dean, the Yemeni Economic Association's president. Dean said his son owns a tobacco shop that was shut down.

"He just got married and he's expecting a baby in April, so it's been tough on him," Dean said.

He explained that the shop was cited for an ADA compliance issue with one of the bathrooms, and he said that the closure had nothing to do with the vape products.

"The closure of the businesses and the bad rep that actually gave to our community and gave our store owners -- it might impede us from getting our license for that market," he said.

While vape shop owners would be eligible to apply for a license to sell recreational marijuana under the new law, the bill requires them to open a separate location solely for retail marijuana sales.

It still needs to be signed by Spanberger. The deadline for Spanberger to act on all bills is in mid-April.