Youngkin budget envisions 15-person team for revamped hemp oversight

RICHMOND, Va. (VIRGINIA MERCURY) - As Virginia policymakers consider ways to exert tighter control over intoxicating hemp-based products like delta-8, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is proposing $2.1 million to fund a new hemp registration and inspection program staffed by 15 people.

The new funding is part of the governor’s budget plan for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and is tied to upcoming legislation the General Assembly will take up early next year, according to budget documents. The Youngkin administration included the funding in its rundown of “major public safety/law enforcement” proposals.

The budget item appears to align with recommendations from a state task force that recently proposed steps the state could take to get a better handle on hemp-derived products that have become widely available at smoke shops and convenience stores around the state.

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