Virginia poised to make marijuana legal July 1 fauquiernow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fauquiernow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Michael Pope reports
Advocates for legalizing marijuana are lobbying the governor, who has the power to amend the bill lawmakers sent him. Instead of legalizing possession of marijuana in 2024, which is in the version of the legislation the General Assembly put on his desk, they want him to legalize it as soon as possible this summer.
Credit DEA I am extremely disappointed that we legislated business before justice, says Chelsea Higgs Wise, executive director of Marijuana Justice Virginia. She says it s a mistake to tie the date of legalization with the launch of commercial sales. The governor said that this bill was supposed to prioritize racial equity. But it s clear that it only prioritized a cannabis profit industry.
Michael Pope reports
Advocates for legalizing marijuana are lobbying the governor, who has the power to amend the bill lawmakers sent him. Instead of legalizing possession of marijuana in 2024, which is in the version of the legislation the General Assembly put on his desk, they want him to legalize it as soon as possible this summer.
Credit DEA.gov I am extremely disappointed that we legislated business before justice, says Chelsea Higgs Wise, executive director of Marijuana Justice Virginia. She says it s a mistake to tie the date of legalization with the launch of commercial sales. The governor said that this bill was supposed to prioritize racial equity. But it s clear that it only prioritized a cannabis profit industry.
Va. Sen. Adam Ebbin speaks on behalf of the effort to legalize marijuana in Virginia
RICHMOND â Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, described a measure to legalize marijuana as the biggest bill heâs seen in his 30 years in Richmond. Deeds and other Democrats have expressed support for legalization, but the legislation faces many unresolved questions and disputes, with about two weeks left on the clock.
Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath
How soon should the state stop punishing people for possessing small amounts? What new crimes make sense in a legalized market? What is the best way to ensure people affected by the so-called war on drugs have a role in the legalized market? And, what of the millions in new revenue?
Landmark legislation that would make Virginia the first state in the South to legalize marijuana is heading toward its first full votes before the House and Senate this week.
And while the proposal has garnered consistent â and in some cases bipartisan â support, significant debate remains on key details of the proposal, including when and how criminal penalties should be rolled back as the state begins working to establish a legal marketplace for the drug.
Lawmakers and advocates said the question became even more important last week as the legislation was amended in both the House and Senate to push the start of retail sales to Jan. 1, 2024, a full year later than the 2023 date proposed by Gov. Ralph Northam.