Virginia lawmakers approved a bill Saturday that would legalize the sale and recreation of marijuana – but only in 2024.
The historic move makes Virginia the first Southern state to vote to legalize marijuana, joining 15 other states and the District of Columbia. The legislation now goes to Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who supports legalization, for his signature.
“It has been a lot of work to get here, but I would say we are on the path to a fair law that allows responsible adults to use cannabis,” state Senator Adam Ebbin, the main sponsor of the Senate Bill, told the Associated Press .
Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn applauded her colleagues in both rooms as they passed the benchmark.
“The House and the Senate have taken a strong step to legalize the sale and possession of marijuana here in the Commonwealth,” he said. Filler-Corn on Twitter. “This legislation will make our criminal justice system fairer and end the goal of black and colored communities against cannabis possession.”
Still, some Democrats like Senator Jennifer McClellan called on Northam to amend the bill, including legalizing marijuana earlier.
“We still have a long way to go to ensure that we address the excessive impact that marijuana has had on black and colored communities,” he said. McClellan tweeted. She called on Northam Government to amend the bill so that simple possession would become legal this year.
Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky said the governor “looks forward to continuing to improve this legislation.”
“There is still a lot of work to be done, but this bill will help reinvest in our communities and reduce inequalities in our criminal justice system,” Yarmosky told NBC Washington.
Under the legislation as enacted, possession of up to 28.3 grams of marijuana will become legal from January 1, 2024. At the same time, sales will begin and regulations will come into force to control the marijuana market in Virginia.
The Senate this year sought to legalize simple possession to end immediate punishment for people with small amounts of marijuana, but House Democrats argued that legalization without a legal marijuana market could continue to promote the growth of the black market.
Lawmakers have decriminalized marijuana, making it a civil fine that can be easily punished with a fine of up to $ 25.
Despite the important reforms of the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union in Virginia said the new legislation does not go far enough to “break the chains of the marijuana ban.”
The Virginia General Assembly has failed to legalize marijuana for racial justice. “Lawmakers have rendered lip service to the communities that have suffered decades of damage from the racist war on drugs, with legislation that does not seek fair reform and delays justice,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said.
The Associated Press contributed.