Virginia NORML has endorsed Delegate Jones.
The war on drugs has hit black and brown Virginians the hardest, so when the chance to correct this wrong came up, I had to act. I was proud to vote for the decriminalization of marijuana during the 2019 session and then voting for full simple legalization for adults this session. However that isn’t enough, once we have legalization we have to expunge those who are currently incarcerated and set the record straight.
I support legalizing and regulating the responsible use by adults in an effort to be safe–such as alcohol is regulated for safety.
I was happy to cast my vote legalizing simple marijuana possession in the Commonwealth, even though it wouldn’t take affect until 2024 until Governor Northam, who has endorsed our campaign, amended the bill to allow legalization of marijuana this calendar year.
I support automatic expungement because this is the right way to legalize marijuana in Virginia. Too many people, especially Black and Brown people that have been disproportionately affected, are incarcerated serving lengthy sentences off of petty marijuana charges and are being denied rights, like voting, because of it. We must do the work to tear down these systemic systems of racism.
I support expanding Virginia's medical cannabis program because in this new decade, Virginians deserve the best treatment and care living within the Commonwealth. If treatment includes cannabis then we should do our work as lawmakers by listening to the experts and vital stakeholders on how to best expand it.
There are countless studies showing the benefits of medical cannabis for those who need to deal with pain, need help eating or sleeping. I was happy to cast my vote for a medical marijuana program here in the Commonwealth, however I was disappointed that it would only allow for THC oil and not the actual marijuana plant.