Virginia and most of the Southern states were against the use of marijuana in a public or private place. Even the police and the officials enforced tighter and strict rules on people who were caught selling pot or even in possession. There are thousands of prisoners in Virginia who are prisoned just because they possessed marijuana with them. Due to this, the people of color and the African-Americans, and the people from low-income communities suffered the most. It has also been said that the people of color and African-Americans were 3.5 times more likely to suffer and be imprisoned due to the possession of pot than their white counterparts. But now, with the historic marijuana laws that were passed in April of 2021, adults can carry 1oz of marijuana with them and use them without facing legal consequences.
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 became the 16th State and the first southern state to legalize marijuana. This had put some ease on the lives of the African-Americans and people of color. This has been a massive victory for Virginia, and it also gave a considerable boost and cleared a path for the other Southern States of the US to legalize marijuana.
The historic 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. Prior to passing this new law, the anti-marijuana laws were disproportionately enforced against the people of color and the low-income Virginian communities. 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:
Rense, S.A.R.A.H. 2021. All-states-that-legalized-weed-in-us/. 12 April. Here Are All the States That Have Legalized Weed in the US. [Online]. [3 May 2021]. Available from: https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a21719186/all-states-that-legalized-weed-in-us/