Politics
Virginia Governor Calls For Marijuana Decriminalization In State Of The Commonwealth Speech
Virginia would become the next state to decriminalize marijuana if one item on Gov. Ralph Northam’s wish list gets done this year.
“We want to keep people safe. But we shouldn’t use valuable law enforcement time, or costly prison space, on laws that don’t enhance public safety,” the governor said during his State of the Commonwealth speech on Wednesday night.
“So I’m proposing that we decriminalize simple possession of marijuana.”
“Current law imposes a maximum 30 days in jail for a first offense of marijuana possession,” Northam said to raucous applause. “Making simple possession a civil penalty will ease overcrowding in our jails and prisons, and free up our law enforcement and court resources for offenses that are a true threat to public safety.”
Making simple possession of marijuana a civil penalty will ease overcrowding in our jails and prisons, and free up our law enforcement and court resources for offenses that are a true threat to public safety. #SOTC
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) January 10, 2019
“One mistake won’t define Virginians for the rest of their lives,” he said.
Watch video of Northam’s marijuana comments, at about 51:10 into the video below:
The stepped up push for cannabis decriminalization from Northam, who campaigned on the issue during his 2017 election bid, comes as Virginia lawmakers are considering a number of far-reaching marijuana proposals.
On Tuesday, two lawmakers filed separate bills to go even further than the governor’s suggestion of decriminalizing possession by completely legalizing marijuana and creating a taxed and regulated system of production and sales.
Virginia Lawmakers Add Full Legalization To Growing List of Marijuana Bills Being Consideration
Photo courtesy of Ralph Northam.
