"Bailey said he is personally against marijuana and, with holes in the state’s current laws around the substance, believes the next steps in patching those holes will be up for debate since 'people’s opinions vary greatly.' He added he’s consulting with his colleagues in law at Liberty University, his alma mater, about what specific measures to support.

He emphasized concerns over young people using marijuana and said he believes many who struggle with substance abuse were introduced to drugs through weed. While Bailey supports being tough on those who sell to minors, he doesn’t believe that recriminalization is the best path. Covering criminal defense as a part of his private law practice, he said criminal records that’ve formed over simple drug possession are an issue and less punitive first offender programs have proved more effective. When it comes to state regulation and retail markets, he said, 'I hope we’re a long way off from that.'" 5/16/23