A coalition of 37 cannabis and civil rights organization is urging Virginia senators to reverse course on amendments made to a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales that they say undermine the “intent” of the legislation and the “will of the people” by adding new criminal penalties for cannabis-related activity.
In a letter led by Marijuana Justice, the groups told members of the Senate Finance Committee that they should roll back the amendments that were incorporated at the behest of a different panel’s chairman last week over the objections of the bill sponsor, Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D).
“The measure should focus on responsible regulations, not further criminalization,” the letter says.
Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Last Prisoner Project (LPP), Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), Parabola Center for Law and Policy, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400 and Virginia Cannabis Association were among the other signatories on the letter.
Senate Courts of Justice Committee Chairman Scott Surovell’s (D) amendments “are an attempt to unravel Virginia’s commitment to undoing the harms of the War on Drugs, despite clear finding from the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission that Black Virginians were disproportionately harmed by marijuana
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