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MARIJUANA MOMENT
DEMOCRAT-LED BILL TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA SALES IN VIRGINIA COULD GO ‘UP IN SMOKE’
AS NEGOTIATIONS WITH GOP GOVERNOR COLLAPSE
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POLITICS
DEMOCRAT-LED BILL TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA SALES IN VIRGINIA COULD GO ‘UP IN SMOKE’
AS NEGOTIATIONS WITH GOP GOVERNOR COLLAPSE
Published
49 mins ago
on
March 7, 2024
By
Marijuana Moment
“As those great philosophers Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin would say, ‘It’s up in
smoke.’”
By Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury
Hopes that Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) might sign a bill legalizing retail sales of
marijuana in Virginia faded fast this week as Democrats blocked one of the
governor’s top priorities: the plan to bring a professional sports arena to
Northern Virginia.
Did investors pray on social equity marijuana license winners?
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marijuana licenses. "Once we got the license, it completely changed ..." FOX
10's Marissa Sarbak has the story.
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As recently as Wednesday, according to multiple Capitol sources, the cannabis
bill was being raised in closed-door budget talks with the governor as one of
several Democratic priorities that could conceivably have been part of a package
deal with the arena.
But the prospects of a grand policy bargain appeared to collapse Thursday as
Democrats revealed a budget proposal without Youngkin’s arena plan, prompting
the governor to say he was less inclined to look favorably on Democratic
priorities. In a news conference on the Capitol steps, Youngkin said the arena
deal Senate Democrats rejected involved up to 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in
economic impact.
“And, bluntly, you want to talk about putting a cannabis shop on every corner?”
Youngkin said. “I don’t quite get it.”
The governor said several other topics had been part of an “overall discussion”
with Democrats. However, he suggested the rejection of an economic development
project that could’ve drawn bipartisan support isn’t going to make him more
likely to approve bills that passed mostly along party lines.
“I think this really sets us meaningfully back,” Youngkin said.
Del. Paul Krizek (D-Alexandria), a key sponsor of the marijuana proposal, said
hopes for the bill were not high.
“As those great philosophers Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin would say, ‘It’s up in
smoke,’” Krizek said.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) pointed to Youngkin’s comments
on cannabis as evidence that it’s the governor who’s refusing to budge on issues
that have popular support.
“He just basically flat out said one of our biggest priorities he’s not willing
to consider,” Surovell said. “This governor wants to set the terms of every
single negotiation as if he’s the sole arbiter of what’s reasonable in a
bipartisan environment. That’s just not how it works… If he wants something,
he’s got to give us something.”
Youngkin can’t veto the marijuana bill immediately, because it technically
hasn’t been sent to him yet. After this week’s developments, it may only be a
matter of time. Youngkin said again Thursday that he doesn’t have “any interest”
in greenlighting a retail marijuana market during his four-year term.
He has just under two years remaining, and if Democrats retake the Executive
Mansion in 2025, the bill sent to Youngkin this year could potentially be the
starting point for future legislative efforts.
Proponents of the bill say it’s the most serious effort yet to build a fair
retail market that gives big cannabis companies, small entrepreneurs, farmers
and communities most impacted by the war on drugs a chance at new business
opportunities.
Though many Virginia conservatives still balk at anything that could be
construed as promoting drug use, the bill going to the governor mostly builds on
policy decisions that have already been made to allow medical marijuana,
decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot and let weed enthusiasts grow
up to four plants at home. All those developments have already added up to a
much less punitive approach to cannabis, but the state still has no way for
people to legally purchase marijuana without a medical reason.
“I think this bill on its merits can stand and can get very broad support once
people fully understand what’s in it,” said Greg Habeeb, a former Republican
delegate who now lobbies for the Virginia Cannabis Association. “It’s about
licensing sellers. It’s about testing products. It’s about taxing sales.”
The proposal sets May 1, 2025, as the start date for recreational marijuana
sales, but the state would start accepting dispensary applications this
September.
The new retail market would be overseen by the Cannabis Control Authority, a
relatively new agency that currently regulates Virginia’s medical marijuana
program and runs a variety of public awareness campaigns on marijuana and its
effects.
When dealing with cannabis legalization in the past, Democrats and progressive
activists have wrestled with how to create a new industry while making amends to
Black communities that were disproportionately impacted by criminalization and
the war on drugs. The approved bill scrubs mentions of diversity, equity and
inclusion, language Youngkin has tried to eliminate elsewhere in state
government. It instead focuses on race-neutral “micro business” provisions
designed to help “historically economically disadvantaged communities” see
financial benefits from marijuana legalization.
Chelsea Higgs Wise, executive director of the nonprofit group Marijuana Justice,
said the pending bill is “the best proposal that we’ve had since the
legalization conversation started in 2021.”
“We are pretty excited about the final product,” said Higgs Wise, whose group
has worked to ensure marijuana legalization includes provisions aimed at
rectifying past harms.
—
Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug
policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters
pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and
hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to
get access.
—
To that end, the General Assembly passed separate legislation that would give
nearly 800 people incarcerated for marijuana-related felonies an opportunity to
have their sentences reduced in light of the state’s move toward legalization.
More than 1,200 people on probation or parole for marijuana offenses would also
have a chance to reduce the length of their post-release supervision, according
to state officials’ analysis of the bill’s impact.
Keeping those bills separate could theoretically make it easier for Youngkin to
approve the retail sales bill without having to compromise on his tough-on-crime
message that calls for stiffer criminal penalties for dealers of harder drugs.
Another bill sent to Youngkin would specify that simply possessing or consuming
legal marijuana products no longer counts as abuse or neglect for the purposes
of child custody and visitation.
The Senate version of that bill is sponsored by Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth)
Youngkin’s chief antagonist on the arena proposal. The House version was sent to
the governor on a seven-day timeline, meaning he has until midnight Friday to
act on it.
This story was first published by Virginia Mercury.
> Virginia Marijuana Bills On Governor’s Desk Include Legal Sales, Sentencing
> Relief, Employment Protections And Parental Rights
Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.
Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our
cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon
pledge.
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