Northam to introduce legislation to legalize marijuana in Virginia

by Elizabeth Thomas

Mon, November 16th 2020, 6:53 PM UTC

FILE - In this April 15, 2019, file photo, a vendor makes change for a marijuana customer at a cannabis marketplace in Los Angeles. Voters in four states could embrace broad legal marijuana sales on Election Day, setting the stage for a watershed year for the industry that could snowball into neighboring states as well as reshape policy on Capitol Hill. The Nov. 3, 2020, contests will take place in markedly different regions of the country, New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana and approval of the proposals would highlight how public acceptance of cannabis is cutting across geography, demographics and the nation's deep political divide. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) — Will the Commonwealth soon see legalized weed?

Monday, Gov. Ralph Northam said he will introduce legislation to legalize marijuana in Virginia.

“It’s time to legalize marijuana in Virginia,” said Gov. Northam. “Our Commonwealth has an opportunity to be the first state in the South to take this step, and we will lead with a focus on equity, public health, and public safety. I look forward to working with the General Assembly to get this right.”

The announcement comes as Northam's Office prepares to release a report on the impact of legalizing adult-use marijuana; the report was compiled with input from government officials, policy experts, healthcare professionals and community leaders.

Gov. Northam says his adminstration is working closely with lawmakers to finalize the legislation ahead of the 2021 session of the General Assembly.

While Northam says he will support legislation that legalizes the plant in the Commonwealth, he said any legislation to legalize adult-use marijuana would need to address the following principles:

Social equity, racial equity, and economic equity. Marijuana prohibition has historically been based in discrimination, and the impact of criminalization laws have disproportionately harmed minority communities as result. A report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) issued today found that Black Virginians are arrested and convicted for marijuana use at more than three times the rate of white Virginians. Legislation should focus on undoing these harms by including initiatives such as social equity license programs, access to capital, community reinvestment, and sealing or expunging records of past marijuana-related convictions.
Public health. Legislation should include substance abuse prevention efforts in schools and communities.
Protections for young people. As a pediatrician, Governor Northam will require any legislation include protections for Virginia’s youth, including age limits, mandatory ID checks, and education campaigns.
Upholding the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act. Legislation should be aligned with the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act prohibiting indoor tobacco use, which Governor Northam championed as a state Senator.
Data collection. Legislation should ensure Virginia collects appropriate and ongoing information on safety, health, and equity.

Earlier this year, simple possession was decriminalized in Virginia. That legislation called on the secretaries of Agriculture, Forestry, Finance, Health and Human Resources and Public Safety and Homeland Security to convene a marijuana legalization work group to study the impact of legalizing the sale and personal use of marijuana in the Commonwealth; the work group is to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and Gov. Northam by the end of November.

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Attorney General Mark Herring, a leading advocate for cannabis reform and marijuana legalization, said Monday, “This JLARC (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission) report just confirms what I have long been saying – Virginia needs to allow legal, regulated adult use of marijuana as a matter of public safety, justice, equity, and economic opportunity,” said Attorney General Herring. “For too long, the Commonwealth’s approach to cannabis was needlessly and disproportionately saddling Black Virginians and people of color with convictions and this report shows just how important legalizing marijuana is for promoting equity in Virginia."

“We now have an even clearer picture of how disproportionately Virginia’s marijuana laws were affecting Black Virginians and Virginians of color, but we also have a more defined roadmap for how to navigate and implement these policies. I am proud of what we have already been able to accomplish and I look forward to working with my colleagues and advocacy partners as we continue to move Virginia forward on a path towards full legalization.”

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report found, according to AG Herring, among other things:
Past marijuana convictions should be automatically expunged – this could benefit at least 120,000 Virginians and at least half of those would be Black Virginians and people of color
The marijuana industry is predominantly controlled by non-people of color and Virginia must give serious consideration to how to make the industry more equitable
The marijuana industry would create 11,000 new jobs in Virginia
The General Assembly is in a position to quickly legalize and regulate marijuana and have the industry set up in a matter of a couple years
Marijuana legalization could generate more than $300 million in tax revenue by the fifth year and Virginia could use this revenue to fund community assistance programs
Black Virginians are arrested 3.5x higher than whites for marijuana-related charges and marijuana legalization would reduce marijuana arrests by 84%
Virginia could mitigate public health risks for legalization, especially youth use

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