Virginia’s legalization bills pass final committees!

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.