Virginia enacts marijuana resentencing law

By AI, Created 5:13 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Governor Spanberger signed a new Virginia law that gives eligible people with marijuana convictions automatic court hearings and lets judges reduce or modify outdated cannabis sentences. Last Prisoner Project says the measure could deliver long-sought relief to people still incarcerated, under supervision or adjudicated as juveniles.

Why it matters: - Virginia’s new resentencing law gives courts a direct path to revisit cannabis sentences that no longer match current law. - The measure could affect people still incarcerated, under state supervision or adjudicated as juveniles. - Last Prisoner Project says the law is a major step toward relief and family reunification for people harmed by outdated marijuana convictions.

What happened: - Governor Spanberger signed SB 62/HB 26 into law on May 15, 2026. - Last Prisoner Project applauded the signing and said the law caps a multi-year push with allies in Virginia. - The legislation creates automatic court hearings for eligible marijuana convictions. - The law gives Virginia judges power to reduce or modify eligible cannabis sentences.

The details: - Eligible individuals can receive a court hearing to consider sentence modification. - A court may suspend the unserved portion of a sentence. - A court may adjust how the remaining time is served. - A court may place an individual on probation. - A court may otherwise modify an eligible cannabis-related sentence. - The law expands relief to some people adjudicated as juveniles. - The law also covers people who remain under state supervision. - Last year, Virginia lawmakers advanced related legislation focused on criminal-record relief, state-initiated expungements and sealing certain ancillary records tied to cannabis charges and arrests. - In 2025, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed a similar sentence-modification bill backed by Last Prisoner Project. - Stephanie Shepard said that veto left more than 1,840 people still incarcerated or under state supervision without relief or potential freedom. - Last Prisoner Project says it has offered testimony, technical feedback and direct policy support across multiple legislative cycles. - The group thanked Marijuana Justice Virginia, NoLef Turns, Justice Forward Virginia, Senators Louise Lucas, Emily Jordan, Scott Surovell and Angelia Williams Graves, and Delegate Rozia Henson, Jr.

Between the lines: - The signing shows Virginia is moving from record-clearing reforms toward sentence-level relief for cannabis cases. - The automatic-hearing structure may make relief easier to access than case-by-case petitions alone. - The bill also reflects a broader shift in how states are handling convictions tied to now-legal or decriminalized cannabis conduct.

What’s next: - Last Prisoner Project says it will keep working with partners, families and constituents to make sure the law delivers meaningful relief. - Courts will now begin handling eligible resentencing hearings under the new framework. - Advocates will watch whether the law produces faster reductions, supervised-release changes and other sentence modifications for affected Virginians.

The bottom line: - Virginia has turned years of cannabis resentencing advocacy into law, opening a new route to relief for people still serving outdated marijuana sentences.