Posted on 01/20/2021 9:27:53 AM PST by NobleFree
A bill that would legalize recreational adult use of marijuana was presented and discussed in a Virginia General Assembly subcommittee Tuesday morning.
If the bill passes, recreational marijuana could be legal in the commonwealth in two years.
"The prohibition of cannabis in the commonwealth and in our country has failed, and with this bill is a step forward in recognizing that in a responsible way," said state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), who sponsors the bill.
The bill would legalize possession and use for anyone 21 and older and allow people to grow up to two mature marijuana plants at home for personal use.
Marijuana edibles could be sold, too, which pulmonologist Dr. Jim Avery says attracts teens and could result in addiction.
“This is the exact same playbook that big tobacco did years ago: Hook 'em when they're young and you get a customer for life," he said.
There's also concern about enforcing laws against driving under the influence of marijuana.
"Arrests are made based solely on the observations of the officer and are very subjective,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said. “This makes DUI enforcement and keeping our roads safe all the more difficult."
Gov. Ralph Northam supports legalization and a 21% tax on marijuana products, which is on the lower end of what other states with legal marijuana use.
The tax revenue would support education and communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition, which Virginia's bipartisan policy audit and review commission found significantly affects Black and Hispanic Virginians more than whites.
“There are five principles embedded in the bill,” Ebbin said. “They include social, racial and economic equity; public health protections for young people; upholding our clean indoor air act; and data collection so that we can make sure that things are happening properly and adjust them if they're not.”
The full General Assembly could vote on legalizing marijuana as early as next month. Then it would head to the governor, who says marijuana is a cash crop that rivals tobacco.
You'd have to ask a dope user. I support legalization because the primary effect of criminalization is to give violent criminals a profitable monopoly on the marijuana market, to the detriment of us all - and because marijuana sale and use do not in and of themseles violate any rights, and so are not any of government's proper business.
No "demons", but I've left all substance use in the past and am better off for it. What's your point?
Dopers, like most leftists, like to point to a lack of research papers as proof of anything. It’s like the lack of papers proving that man-made climate change is a myth.
Sorry, we have enough legal crutches for societal losers. Drink up. For those who have no self-control, keep doing you’re pathetic mind altering substances in the shadows. ANd I’m a former recreational drug user.
You should certainly be against easier access to drugs, you seem to be obsessed and from admission have substance abuse issues.
If anything, I’d think you’d want less legal access to them. Maybe you have no sense though.
Wrong as usual - the lack of proof is cited as a lack of proof.
It’s like the lack of papers proving that man-made climate change is a myth.
Man-made climate change is a myth because the papers saying otherwise have been shown to be flawed - very much like many papers alleging grave harms from marijuana.
Sorry, we have enough legal crutches for societal losers.
How do you know we have enough, rather than too many or too few?
Drugs, Gambling, cigs, booze, etc. If it can be taxed, it will be legalized eventually.
And once a state gets on the tax train, it can’t get off, it can only raise existing taxes and add more new ones.
Pot criminalization does much more to enrich violent criminals than to reduce access - you should be against that as am I.
from admission have substance abuse issues.
Plenty of FReepers are acknowledged recovering alcoholics; what's your point?
I’m a former dope user, and I know lots of people whose lives were effed up by doing drugs. Let the criminal element exist; let the criminals kill one another.
Today’s mj is a horrible drug, so much like harder drugs that it will inevitably lead to harder drugs. YOu don’t need a research study to know this.
More users, more car accidents, more high school and college drop-outs. FDA won’t approve new drugs without years of safety data; for loser dopers, our government is going to approve a drug that cannot be withdrawn (like alcohol). Once you start feeding the beast, you can’t go back.
It’s a shame that Prohibition didn’t work; we’d have a more productive society.
“Plenty of FReepers are acknowledged recovering alcoholics; what’s your point?”
I’ve never seen an ex or even current alcoholic rampaging like you about how great it would be to legalize it more. Not even hardcore DUI maniancs are as delusional as you. Troll.
I have been advocating “Going Gault +” since Rudy’s hair melted on TV.
Here, this will help. Used copies are under $10 at abebooks.com:
Tax Free Retirement
-Patrick Kelly
They don't kill only each other - they victimize many innocents.
Today’s mj is a horrible drug, so much like harder drugs that it will inevitably lead to harder drugs.
Nonsense - it's a more concentrated version of the same active ingredient, like Everclear versus beer.
It’s a shame that Prohibition didn’t work
Its failure was inherent in its nature, as with marijuana prohibition.
You're projecting, noob.
Keeping it illegal has failed in this goal; since well before any state legalized, kids have reported that they could get pot almost as easily as beer or cigarettes, despite the latter drugs being severalfold more widely used by adults. This evidence indicates that the better way of keeping a drug away from kids is to legalize it for adults only, thus giving sellers an economic incentive to not sell to kids.
We are already there.
Because those states, California, Colorado, etc are not what we aspire to. Of course you could argue Virginia is pretty far gone and you would be right.
Just legalize it nationwide, tax it, regulate it (much like booze) and be done with it. You don’t like it, don’t smoke it, you don’t like booze, don’t drink it but stop this pointless bickering
The blue states have almost entirely gone this legalization route, Oregon really going for it with legalizing all. They may be leftist as hell, but dammit you’re going to see that propaganda pushed on here as well.
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