Virginia has taken the lead as the first southern state to legalize marijuana. Recently, Virginia lawmakers enacted the legalization law which allows adults 21 and over to use and grow marijuana starting in July. The state also plans to launch a legal and regulated market beginning in 2024. Additionally, the law creates an opportunity for people with convictions of past marijuana possession to lower their penalties or have their records sealed. Revenue from the new excise tax on marijuana will go to education programs, addiction treatment, public health services, and equity initiatives.
Many support the new legislation because it will eliminate the harmful effects of the war on drugs and marijuana prohibition. These effects include thousands of arrests, racial disparity, millions of dollars in the black market for illicit drugs, and violent operations. Supporters argue against the claims of health effects by noting that the end to marijuana prohibition outweighs the potential adverse effects of marijuana use.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Norham publicly backed marijuana legalization last November, and after a few months of back-and-forth, Virginia finally passed the legislation. This was a remarkably quick turnaround in comparison to other states like New York and New Jersey who battled for legalization for a few years. With Virginia’s new law, a total of 16 states and Washington D.C. have all legalized marijuana.
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