Gov. Northam: April is Highway Safety Month in Virginia (FILE) (Source: WAFB) By WHSV Newsroom | April 23, 2021 at 11:47 AM EDT - Updated April 23 at 11:47 AM
RICHMOND, Va. (WHSV) â On Friday, April 23, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared the month of April to be Highway Safety Month in the commonwealth, and heâs urging all Virginians to help prevent injuries and fatalities on the road.
One purpose of this Highway Safety Month is to emphasize the importance of wearing a seat belt, which Northam says can help in reducing the number of unrestrained crashes and saving lives.
The governor says in 2020, even with a decline in traffic volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 343 people who were not wearing seat belts were killed in crashes on Virginia roadway. This is a 13% increase compared to 2019.
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Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signs bill legalizing marijuana on July 1
Virginia is the first southern state to legalize marijuana
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The new law will go into effect on July 1.
Top Democrats from across the Commonwealth joined the governor as he ceremonially signed the bill.
“Data from the court system since then shows us that our marijuana possession laws, continued to be disproportionately enforced, that’s why it is so important as was important to me that we go ahead and legalize simple possession,” Northam said.
Northam says although marijuana is decriminalized, legalization will help disproportionately impacted communities.
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“We know that marijuana laws in Virginia and throughout this country have been disproportionately enforced against communities of color and low-income Virginians,”
When marijuana becomes legal in Va. you still can t do this (and other things)
Virginia legalizes marijuana
and last updated 2021-04-21 18:11:31-04
RICHMOND, Va. The moment was strictly ceremonial, but when Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation that will legalize the simple possession of marijuana for those 21 and up starting July 1, officials said it marks a major step toward racial equity.
âWhoâs counting, but 71 days from now, Virginia will no longer police adults for possessing small amounts of marijuana,â Northam said.
A study by JLAC found that Black and Brown Virginians were three times more likely to face a penalty or be arrested for marijuana possession, even though use was similar among all racial and ethnic groups. The disparity rate remained the same even after the Commonwealth decriminalized possession of small amounts in July 2020.
Virginia governor signs bill legalizing marijuana possession
The bill is a step towards reforming our criminal justice system to make it more fair, said Governor Ralph Northam.
Over a dozen US states have already legalized marijuana use
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill that legalizes the simple possession of marijuana, making the state the first in the US south to allow the drug s recreational use.
The bill, signed a day after April 20 the unofficial marijuana holiday allows anyone in the state 21 or older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana beginning July 1.
The initiative aims to tackle racial disparities in the prosecution of marijuana-related crimes.