Virginia could decriminalize marijuana with new Democratic majority in legislature

Advocates for reform of Virginia’s marijuana prohibition laws say the new makeup of the legislature means Virginia could vote to decriminalize marijuana next year.

Certain Republican leaders in recent years stopped decriminalization bills from reaching a full vote of the House and Senate, but in January they won’t be in charge anymore. On Nov. 5, Democrats took control of the state House and Senate, and Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, a doctor, has backed decriminalization for more than two years, saying enforcement is expensive and disproportionately jails African Americans.

It’s “very likely” that a decriminalization bill with bipartisan support will make its way to Northam next year, changing the state penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor carrying up to 30 days in jail to a civil fine, said Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of the group Virginia NORML and one of the state’s top advocates for legal use of marijuana.

Virginia would join 26 states and the District of Columbia that have passed decriminalization measures or eliminated the possibility of jail for possession of personal amounts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures; 11 states and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of marijuana. [Read More @ The Richmond Times Dispatch]

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