It’s long past time to end the War on Drugs. Decades of jail time and fines have done nothing to combat addiction or promote public safety. Cannabis reform is very much a work-in-progress in Virginia. If we do it well, this work will enhance our safety, health, justice, economic vitality, and environmental resilience in every corner of Virginia.

The General Assembly took meaningful steps this year toward sealing past convictions, but there’s a lot of work still left to do. The process outlined in the bill will take years and major IT upgrades. The new law also doesn’t do enough to address barrier crimes or help resentence people already behind bars for cannabis convictions. That’s unjust, and it has to be our top priority for drug reform in the year ahead. 

I support the thoughtful and affordable regulation of cannabis-derived products that have been shown to offer safe and reliable treatment to patients in need. 

HB5058 Prohibits Search and Seizure Based Solely on the Odor of Marijuana