The Warsaw Town Council is moving forward with a proposed cannabis ordinance, anticipating action at the state level that could pave the way for retail sales in Virginia.

During the March meeting, Warsaw Town Manager Joseph Quesenberry said staff has been tracking legislation expected to be signed by the governor that would allow a limited number of licensed cannabis retail locations across the Commonwealth, with operations potentially beginning as early as November. He presented a draft ordinance based on framework from the Berkeley Group.

The proposed ordinance is designed to tightly regulate where and how a cannabis business could operate within Warsaw. Under the draft, any retail cannabis establishment would require approval through a conditional use permit issued directly by the Town Council.

“So if you all don’t want one here, you could just vote no,” Quesenberry said. “It has to come before you all for anything trying to come here.”

Businesses would only be allowed in a C2 zone, and a key component of the ordinance is a 500‑foot buffer requirement between cannabis businesses and certain other establishments such as daycares, churches, and other cannabis operations. Quesenberry said the distance rule was carefully selected to comply with legal constraints while allowing one potential location within town limits.

“I did keep the minimum distance at 500 ft because… if we do not do it at 500 ft that would preclude any operation in the town, which I do not think we can do something like that. I think that could be a lawsuit,” he said.

However, using the 500‑foot rule, staff determined that— especially given the number of churches in Warsaw—it would effectively limit any potential cannabis business to a single location.

“This would pretty much leave it to only be able to be in the Food Lion shopping center, and you all get to say yes or no to it. So it’s pretty strict,” said Quesenberry.

“If we do the 500 ft, we’re boxed into that shopping cen‑ter?” Mayor Randy Phelps sought to confirm.

“You boxed it in, and then you all still have to say yes or no,” Quesenberry responded.

The 500‑foot separation between cannabis businesses would further limit the potential for proliferation in town.

In addition to location restrictions, council discussed oper‑ating hours, and, at the suggestion of Councilman Patrick Stone, the Council agreed to add a prohibition on Sunday sales to the proposed ordinance.

The council unanimously approved a motion to move the ordinance forward to a public hearing, where residents will have an opportunity to weigh in.

Quesenberry expressed interest in observing how cann‑abis retail may contribute to local revenues and has already included approximately $3,500 in projected revenue in the upcoming budget.

Officials said the evolving nature of cannabis legislation in Virginia makes it important for the town to be prepared.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out across the state,” said Phelps.