Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced Sunday that he had signed into law a package of criminal justice legislation that includes decriminalization of cannabis possession.
“Every Virginian deserves access to a fair and equitable criminal justice system,” Northam said in a statement on Sunday. “These bills combat mass incarceration, increase support for returning citizens, and ensure that those who have paid their debt to society have a meaningful second chance. I thank the General Assembly for working with us to build a more just and inclusive Commonwealth.”
The decriminalization legislation (Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 972) reduces penalties for cannabis possession of up to an ounce to a civil violation that carries just a $25 fine.
Northam also proposed amendments to the package of bills, including one that pushes back a required study on the potential impacts of adult use legalization in the state back by one year, to November 30, 2021. (Cannabis Wire has reached out to Northam and will update with comments.)
Cannabis law reform advocates celebrated the news on Sunday.