The governor has until March 31 to act on the legalization and expungement bills — write him and urge him to fix the legalization bills today!

Good news! This week, Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation (HB 2218/SB 1333) that will allow registered patients to obtain whole-plant, “botanical” cannabis from medical cannabis dispensaries. The new law, which takes effect on July 1, will make it possible for patients to use cannabis in whatever form they find to be most helpful.

Gov. Northam has until March 31 to take action on the adult-use legalization and expungement bills. Unfortunately, as we informed you previously, the legalization bills still include one very bad provision that would criminalize bringing small amounts of cannabis into the Commonwealth from other jurisdictions. Both HB 2312 and SB 1406 would create a new criminal penalty, punishable by up to a year in jail, for entering Virginia with less than five pounds of cannabis. The bills do not include an exception for one ounce or less of cannabis.

We are also asking Gov. Northam to move the effective date of legalization from 2024 to 2021. If you haven’t already done so, please write Gov. Northam today and encourage him to request these important amendments.

If you’d like to read MPP’s letter to Gov. Northam, click here.

After you write Gov. Northam, please share this message with your friends and family in Virginia.

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Virginia must not criminalize “importing” small amounts of cannabis — write the governor today!

The Virginia House and Senate deserve a round of applause for completing work on the adult-use legalization bills and advancing them to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk. Although we are disappointed by the fact that cannabis will not become legal until January 2024, we are pleased that the final bill does not criminalize sharing of cannabis between adults or increase penalties for public consumption and underage possession.

Unfortunately, both bills still include one very bad provision that would criminalize bringing small amounts of cannabis into the Commonwealth from another jurisdiction. Both HB 2312 and SB 1406 would create a new criminal penalty, punishable by up to a year in jail, for entering Virginia with less than five pounds of cannabis. The bills do not include an exception for one ounce or less of cannabis.

Gov. Northam is expected to ask the legislature for amendments to the bill, so we are urging him to seek an amendment to this provision. Bringing one ounce or less of cannabis into Virginia for personal use should not be a criminal offense, and it needs to be exempted from this new penalty.

Please write Gov. Ralph Northam today and encourage him to request an amendment to this provision. If you use Twitter, please also consider re-tweeting MPP’s tweet to Gov. Northam, or adding your own tweet to ask him to fix the law and avoid re-criminalizing cannabis consumers.

MPP has sent Gov. Northam a letter urging him to request this amendment. To read it, click here.

After you write Gov. Northam, please share this message with your friends and family.

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Virginia must not criminalize “importing” small amounts of cannabis or increase other penalties — write lawmakers who are working to finalize the legislation today!

Overall, we are happy with the cannabis legalization bills that have passed the Virginia House and Senate. This week, lawmakers from both chambers are engaged in a “conference committee” that is working to resolve differences between the two bills.

Unfortunately, both bills still include one very bad provision that would criminalize bringing small amounts of cannabis into the Commonwealth from another jurisdiction. Both HB 2312 and SB 1406 would create a new criminal penalty, punishable by up to a year in jail, for entering Virginia with less than five pounds of cannabis. The bills do not currently include an exception for one ounce or less of cannabis.

“Importing” small amounts for personal use should not be a criminal offense, and it must be exempted from this new penalty. We have informed lawmakers about the problem, and we hope they will fix it during the reconciliation process, but they haven’t done so yet. Please write the members of the conference committee today and urge them to resolve this issue before they send a final bill to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam.

Additionally, SB 1406 would increase penalties for public consumption and underage possession from a $25 fine to a fine of up to $250 for a first offense, and it would prohibit adults from sharing cannabis with other adults. The House eliminated these penalty increases from HB 2312, and we are urging lawmakers in both chambers to ensure they are not included in the final bill.

For more information on the differences between HB 2312 and SB 1406, and to see what MPP has recommended to legislators, click here.

After you write your state legislators, please share this message with your friends and family.

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Very exciting news: Today, the Virginia Legislature voted to advance legislation that would legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older in the commonwealth!

HB 2312, sponsored by Majority Leader Charniele Herring, passed the House in a 55-42 vote, while SB 1406, sponsored by Senators Adam Ebbin and Louise Lucas, passed the Senate 23-15.

But even though this is great news, it’s not a done deal yet. Because the bills were amended and are no longer identical, the legislature will likely set up a conference committee to reconcile differences. If the legislature approves a final bill, it will then head to Gov. Ralph Northam, who has signaled strong support.

Under the proposed bills, adults 21+ could possess up to an ounce of cannabis, cultivate up to two mature and two immature plants at their residence, and purchase cannabis and cannabis products from regulated dispensaries.

You can read a summary of HB 2312 here and a summary of SB 1406 here.

In the coming weeks, MPP will be pushing to ensure Virginia lawmakers fix some issues with the legislation — such as increased penalties for certain low-level offenses — and to get help it past the finish line. Please consider making a donation today so we can help fix the bill, get it passed, and legalize in several other states this year!

Let’s make Virginia the first state in South to end cannabis prohibition.

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Call your delegate and senator today and urge them to vote in favor of ending cannabis prohibition.

Virginia’s cannabis legalization bills — HB 2312 and SB 1406 — passed their final committees yesterday. The House and Senate are expected to vote on these bills by tomorrow, which is their deadline for advancing the legislation.

Please call your delegate and senator right now and urge them to vote in favor of legalizing cannabis in Virginia!

If at least one of the bills passes the House or Senate this week, the legislative process will continue next week. Since the bills have been amended and are no longer identical, the legislature would probably set up a bicameral committee to reconcile differences between the two bills and make final decisions before sending the bill to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk.

We are happy with several changes that have been made so far. In particular, we are pleased that HB 2312 no longer increases penalties for public consumption and possession by those who are underage. We will continue pushing legislators to ensure that the final bill will truly serve the interests of all Virginians, including medical patients and individuals from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

You can read a summary of HB 2312 here and a summary of SB 1406 here. You can read more details about today’s votes and the legislative process in this article.

If you haven’t already emailed your elected officials, please do so, and please share the link with others!

After you call your delegates and senators, please share this important message with your friends and family.

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The legislative session is scheduled to end on February 11 — urge delegates and senators to end cannabis prohibition before the clock runs out!

Virginia’s cannabis legalization bills — HB 2312 and SB 1406 — have passed two committees each, but there is still much work to be done, and the outcome remains uncertain. Both bills must be considered by a third committee, Finance/Appropriations. Then, at least one of these bills needs to pass the House or Senate by this Friday’s “crossover deadline” to have a chance of passing both chambers before the session concludes on February 11.

Please write your state legislators right now and urge them to vote in favor of legalizing cannabis in Virginia!

MPP has been working to persuade legislators to improve these bills during the committee process. In particular, we are pleased that HB 2312 no longer increases penalties for public consumption and possession by those who are underage. We will continue pushing legislators to ensure that any bill, when finalized, will truly serve the interests of all Virginians, including medical patients and individuals from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

You can read a summary of HB 2312 here and a summary of SB 1406 here. Both bills remain works in progress, but we are confident that legislators will continue to improve the language as they move forward.

After you write your delegates and senators, please share this important message with your friends and family.

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