Virginia passes bills to legalize marijuana, abolish death penalty, remove mandatory minimums

Zeedox

Zeedox

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Virginia passes bills to legalize marijuana, abolish death penalty, remove mandatory minimums

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)- It was a historic day in Virginia politics as bills to legalize marijuana, abolish the death penalty and eliminate several mandatory minimum sentences passed in the General As…
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)- It was a historic day in Virginia politics as bills to legalize marijuana, abolish the death penalty and eliminate several mandatory minimum sentences passed in the General Assembly.

These votes are a big step forward but it’s not the end of the road...

The House and Senate passed bills on Friday to legalize retail marijuana sales starting in January of 2024. The vote puts Virginia on the path to becoming the first state in the south to take this step.

Sales will be restricted to adults 21 and older. Identification checks will be required and advertising will be limited to minimize youth exposure. The bills also call for robust substance abuse awareness campaigns.

Penalties remain in place for juvenile possession, driving under the influence, public consumption and illicit sales.

The delayed enactment will give the Commonwealth time to stand up a brand new agency called the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.
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Zeedox said:
Republicans are like the Farengi, they can smell profit.

Besides when you watch other states spending millions from the tax revenues...
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They made a shit ton of Qanon. They're still making bank off that. That's why they don't give it up. Every redneck from Florida to the Ozarks is sending them every spare dime they have.
 
www.politico.com

Virginia joins 15 other states in legalizing marijuana

Virginia is the 16th U.S. state to pass an adult-use marijuana legalization law, though sales would not start until 2024.
www.politico.com www.politico.com

The state decriminalized marijuana last year during a special session to address criminal justice reform. Virginia’s medical marijuana program is just getting off the ground, and lawmakers passed a bill this session that would expand the program to allow marijuana flower products.
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Northam endorsed legalization in November and urged lawmakers to pass his proposal during his state of the state address. The legislation was based on two extensive studies on the issue: a report from his administration and another from the nonpartisan Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee.
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The bills moved quickly through the chambers during a short, 30-day session, which Northam extended with a special session of 16 days. Lawmakers tackled thorny issues such as how to prevent large corporations from taking over the marijuana market, and how to handle automatic expungements of marijuana offenses when the criminal justice system lacks the technology to do so.
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If you had told me 5 years ago that Virginia of all people would beat us (Georgia) to the punch on legalizing marijuana, I would have laughed in your face.

They are flat out getting it done. We're still sitting on our hands. About the only thing really moving forward here are individual cities and counties.

For instance, the city of Atlanta has decriminalized anything under an ounce. So has Gwinnett County. I can remember when if you were caught with an ounce you went to prison for possession with intent to distribute even if it wasn't individually packaged.

Baby steps, I guess.
 
Well you're still better off than I am. Here it's still 1965. There is no medical MJ here. Possession of any amount is illegal. Less than an ounce first offense will get you a 350 dollar fine and a year of probation. Over an ounce you're going to the big house. Period. No ifs, ands, buts, nada. You're fucking gone.
 
Gomez Adams said:
I can remember when if you were caught with an ounce you went to prison for possession with intent to distribute even if it wasn't individually packaged.
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I remember those days here in Canada. The charge itself was finally quashed off the books when the Supreme Court agreed it was up to the prosecutor to "prove" the intent vice the defendant to 'prove' he wasn't.
 
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Hugo Stiglitz said:
Well you're still better off than I am. Here it's still 1965. There is no medical MJ here. Possession of any amount is illegal. Less than an ounce first offense will get you a 350 dollar fine and a year of probation. Over an ounce you're going to the big house. Period. No ifs, ands, buts, nada. You're fucking gone.
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I guess if I grew up with Nebraska Nonsense :LOL:, I'd wonder what the hype was all about.
 
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Zeedox said:
I remember those days here in Canada. The charge itself was finally quashed off the books when the Supreme Court agreed it was up to the prosecutor to "prove" the intent vice the defendant to 'prove' he wasn't.
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Again, as it should be.

Here, it was more about feeding the private prison system for kickbacks. They're still doing it throughout most of the United States.
 
Florida's laws on mj are all fucked up. You need a team of lawyers and a local native to find your way through all the bullshit.
 
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