Virginia Expected to Become First<br />Southern State to Legalize Marijuana.<br />On Friday, Virginia’s General Assembly<br />voted 55-42 to allow the possession,<br />manufacture and sale of marijuana. .<br />The legislation will officially pass once<br />Governor Ralph Northam signs it, which he has<br />already indicated he will.<br />From there, regulated merchants will be able to<br />start selling cannabis in the state in 2024.<br />This latest progressive win will make Virginia<br />the first Southern state to legalize marijuana. .<br />A state study found that the sale of marijuana is<br />expected to raise around $300 million in tax revenue. .<br />That money will fund programs aimed to address<br />the effects of marijuana criminalization, public health, <br />preschool programs and addiction treatment.<br />Delegate Don Scott called the legislation an “opportunity”<br />to give communities that have been “decimated” by the<br />“war on drugs” an “economic leg up.” .<br />According to a 2018 investigation<br />by ‘The Daily Press,’ Black Virginians are unfairly<br />targeted by the state’s marijuana laws. .<br />The investigation found that Black defendants<br />charged with marijuana possession were far more likely<br />to receive jail time than white defendants, who were<br />more likely to get a second chance. .<br />The difference is glaring, as only 20 percent of Virginia’s residents are Black and similar rates of marijuana use<br />have been found among Black and white residents. .<br />In addition to legalization, Governor Northam’s<br />office also said that he is developing a plan to<br />expunge marijuana-related offenses.
