Virginia governor wants to legalize cannabis by July 1

A month ahead of the deadline for filing amendments to the proposed legalization of cannabis in the US state of Virginia, Democratic Governor Ralph Northam has announced that he would like the state to legalize cannabis as early as July 1, two and a half years ahead of the original schedule.

The legalization project, adopted by the Senate and House of Delegates last month, The new law is due to come into force on January 1, 2024, at the same time as the opening of legal sales. But while Ralph Northam has yet to officially declare whether he wishes to push forward the overall planning, he has stated that he sees no point in continuing to punish people for something that will soon be legal, which could include both cannabis possession and its self-cultivation.

«Personally, I don't think we should arrest or penalize anyone for something we're about to legalize,» he declared. «I intend to submit a number of amendments to the Legislature, and I hope we'll be able to move them forward.»

The governor's office is also reportedly exploring a number of possible avenues to expedite other legalization-related provisions, including those regarding when sales could begin and the process for overturning prior cannabis convictions, according to Marijuana Moment.

Virginia recently decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis, replacing previous penalties with a fine of 25$. However, the Blacks are still four times more likely than whites to receive a fine in the state despite the absence of any significant difference in cannabis consumption between the two groups.

The legislature will consider Ralph Northam's proposed amendments during a brief session scheduled for April 7. Legislators from both chambers will have to approve the amendments before they can be added to the bill.

Support for cannabis legalization is strong in Virginia, according to a poll released this month. It found that more than two-thirds of adults in the Commonwealth (68%) favored cannabis legalization for adults, including a slim majority (51%) of Republican voters.