Contact your lawmakers and urge them to end cannabis prohibition. In May, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed a decriminalization bill — SB 2/ HB 972 — into law, making Virginia the 27th state to decriminalize simple cannabis possession. Today, the new law officially goes into effect! Starting today, possession of one ounce of cannabis or less is punishable by up to a $25 fine — the lowest fine of any decriminalization state. You can read a full summary of the new law here. While this reform is long…

Earlier today, Gov. Ralph Northam signed SB 2 into law, which decriminalizes cannabis possession. Starting July 1, possession of up to an ounce will be punishable by a civil fine of up to $25 instead of a criminal penalty and potential jail time. This is the lowest fine of any decriminalization law! Virginia now joins the 26 states and Washington, D.C. that have stopped jailing their residents for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Here are a few details about the new law: Reduces the…

Legislature approves medical cannabis improvements. During an unprecedented one-day session — where delegates convened under a canopy and senators met in the Virginia Science Museum — the legislature considered Gov. Ralph Northam’s amendments to legislation — SB 2/HB 972 — to decriminalize simple cannabis possession in Virginia. The legislature rejected two of the governor’s proposed amendments to the bill — an amendment to push back the due date of a legalization study and an amendment to remove…

On Saturday, Gov. Ralph Northam approved legislation, SB 2/HB 972, which would decriminalize cannabis possession — but requested several amendments. Before the bill is enacted, the legislature must consider the governor’s proposed amendments, which include pushing back the due date for a legalization study by a year and deleting a provision that would end driver’s license suspensions for marijuana possession. The legislature is set to reconvene and consider the amendments on April 22. If the bill…