Virginia’s General Assembly is debating on legalize marijuana in the state and amid the debate, a House panel has added racial-equity policies to the bill.
House Bill 2312 would regulate a potential billion-dollar industry and according to Del. Lashrecse Aird, D-Chesterfield, the committee discussed creating a public-education program for responsible recreational use and curbing possible monopolies.
The bill would also ensure entrepreneurs of color get equal access to enter the industry.
“When we talk about how many people have been impacted from the war on drugs, we strongly believe that this version is a balanced approach to not only trying to promote the competitive nature of this industry, but to do so in a way that centers social equity,” Aird explained.
According to research, from 2010 to 2019, Black Virginians had been arrested for marijuana possession 3 1/2 times more than white people. Their conviction rates were also almost four times higher.
Bill 2312 would let people age 21 and older to sell marijuana beginning in 2023. It is now headed to the House Appropriations Committee.
Ngiste Abebe, director of public policy for Columbia Care, who attended the meeting, said, “You have, at the federal level, an effective tax rate of 76%,” Abebe stressed.
“And so, what you end up seeing is social-equity businesses three, four, five years down the line, looking to sell licenses because they can’t keep it up, and they can’t access the capital they need in order to continue in this business.”
Gov. Ralph Northam backs House Bill 2312 as well.
