On Sunday, Virginia governor Ralph Northam has approved state bills SB 2 and HB 972, clearing the way for cannabis to be decriminalized in Virginia. Back in March, the state legislature passed the bills which lower the punishment for possession from up to a $500 fine, a criminal record and 30 days jail time, to a $25 fine, no jail time and no criminal record. Northam, who has been a staunch supporter of decriminalizing, made clear his intention to mount a study on the impacts legalization would have on the state of Virginia on Sunday as well.
As we decriminalize simple possession of marijuana and seal the records of prior convictions, I am proposing a study to assess the impact of fully legalizing marijuana in the Commonwealth.
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) April 12, 2020
Decriminalization signals a first step towards cannabis legalization in Virginia
While decriminalization in Virginia is good, and the prospect of legalization is very good; a caveat hangs over all of this: the Covid-19 pandemic. Northam’s calling for one significant change to the legalization study. Namely, he’s requesting that the report’s due date be pushed from November 30, 2020 to November 30, 2021 due to the huge economic and public health impact that the virus has had on Virginia and of course the world.
While postponing the report would be a significant delay of over 19 months, it’s difficult for anyone to know where the country will be a month from now, let alone late November of this year. And naturally, state and local officials in Virginia and everywhere else have far more significant priorities to address for the foreseeable future.
The good news? Northam’s plan to decriminalize and (eventually) legalize pending his economic impact study, could all be a justification for a licensed and legal cannabis market to be a driver of economic recovery in the state. And that’s a crucial consideration that governors in other states should consider too.