Governor Ralph Northam became the first Southern governor in the history of Virginia to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the state. With it, Virginia also became the 16th State and the first southern state to legalize marijuana. This new law is accelerating a revamp of cannabis laws that have jailed hundreds of people of color in the state for nonviolent offenses. The bill was signed on April 21, and it comes into effect from July 21 onwards. With the signing of this new law, any adult above the age of 21 can possess up to 1 oz of marijuana with them for recreational, personal, or medical use.
The Virginia General Assembly passed the bill earlier in April after the governor sent the original measure back to the legislature after making a few revisions. He also included a proposal to accelerate the timeline of its commercial usage from July 24 to January 1, 2024. According to the Governor, with this new law, they are a step closer to building a more equal and just Virginia for everyone and reforming the criminal justice system to make it fairer.
Before this, the marijuana laws in Virginia and throughout the country were disproportionately enforced against the people of color and the low-income Virginian communities.
According to a report, African-Americans were 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana than the White counterparts. Although some people and Virginia Republicans opposed the bill most of the democrats were in favor of this new bill. With this, it became an extraordinary victory for the people of Virginia.
Other than Virginia, 15 other states in the United States have already legalized the use of marijuana. Those states are – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington DC.
Reference:
Pavior, B.E.N. 2021. Virginia-16th-state-to-legalize-recreational-pot-latest-to-emphasize-social-equi. 7 April. Virginia 16th State To Legalize Recreational Pot, Latest To Emphasize 'Social Equity'. [Online]. [3 May 2021]. Available from: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/07/985014557/virginia-16th-state-to-legalize-recreational-pot-latest-to-emphasize-social-equi