The state of Virginia made history this week as it became the 16th state to legalize marijuana recreationally.
The state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed a bill legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana on Wednesday.
Under the new law, adults ages 21 and over in the state can possess an ounce or less of marijuana beginning on July 1. Originally the state had wanted to begin on Jan. 1, 2024.
Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam had wanted to move up the date and said it would be a mistake to continue to penalize people for possessing a drug that would soon be legal.
Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, also a Democrat, was the one to break a 20-20 vote tie in Virginia’s Senate to pass the bill. No Republicans had supported the measure. The nearly 300 page bill was criticized heavily by several Republicans.
Democratic House of Delegates Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn stated, “Today, with the Governor’s amendments, we will have made tremendous progress in ending the targeting of Black and brown Virginians through selective enforcement of marijuana prohibition by this summer.”
Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, had called legalization “an incredible victory” and had said the group would continue to push to allow retail sales to begin sooner.
“In the interest of public and consumer safety, Virginians 21 and older should be able to purchase retail cannabis products at the already operational dispensaries in 2021, not in 2024,” Pedini said in a statement. “Such a delay will only exacerbate the divide for equity applicants and embolden illicit activity.”
