Marijuana-related Arrests Fall 90% in Virginia After Cannabis Legalization

The number of cannabis-related arrests has decreased dramatically since the latest decriminalization laws went into effect on July 1, 2021.

In the past, summer always ended with police registering dozen of cannabis-related arrests in and around the Virginia capital. The new law, which allowed the possession of small quantities of cannabis flowers, was effective enough to keep Virginia residents out of jail for the last two months.

Local law enforcement data shows there were over 250 cannabis-related arrests last summer. The arrests ranged from possession to illegal sale to illegal cultivation of the plant.

While people can still be arrested for these types of allegations, the government has given people better ways to sneak into them.

Since the law went into effect seven weeks ago, at least six of the arrested offenders have been charged with illegally distributing marijuana and possessing more than an ounce of the drug with the intent of selling it to other residents or visitors.

Virginia’s Cannabis Legislation

Virginia’s new legislation says residents can grow some strands of cannabis plants in their homes. The breeders were asked to mark their plants with their driver’s license tag or some other means of identification. In addition, there must be a note informing officials that the planet is being grown for personal consumption.

The most important feature of the new law is that residents 21 and over now have the right to use marijuana.

You can legally keep up to 1 ounce of cannabis in public without fear of law enforcement arrest.

The measure does not include the sale of cannabis, but there is hope as the state plans to introduce a regulated cannabis market in 2024.

A regulatory committee will be set up to issue licenses and also set rules that intended operators in the industry must follow.

For now, anyone caught growing more than four stocks of the cannabis plant will be charged with a crime, as will those caught with the intent of distributing cannabis.

Implementation of the new law

Virginia’s State Police and other Commonwealth Police departments in the states have followed legislation on the latter.

This may also be due to the high rates of other crimes such as shootings and killings that occur in different regions of the state. Law enforcement officials are primarily focused on reducing crimes such as homicides with gun violence, break-ins and robbery.

There have been multiple cases of vehicle theft, home break-ins and gun violence in Richmond. According to Richmond City Police Chief Geral Smith, in a statement released to allay residents and visitors’ fears, he announced that Richmond officials are working on strategies that would be effective to address evolving security needs of the communities to solve.

Henrico Police Chief Eric English said his base was ready to adapt to the new legislation. Eric says he believes coping is a challenging job and all officers must always be prepared for a change in their rules.

Cannabis-related arrests since July 1st

Since the new law was passed, arrests have been reduced by more than 90%.

The total number of arrests since the law went into effect is 25. These arrests were made by officials in Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico Counties.

Chesterfield has had the highest of these arrests.

At least 20 people have been charged with possessing and selling cannabis since the law went into effect. Chesterfield also has most of the people summoned for non-compliance with the fine settlement.

Despite all of this, the county police department says cannabis arrests have been reduced by 86%.

The perpetrator with the most serious charges was caught in Chesterfield. He was found growing an estimated 50 cannabis plants. The plant was also found without an identification label to indicate that the owner was allowed to grow such an amount.

Jeffrey Katz, the county’s police chief, said the new law could be a mistake. He called it “bad public order”. Before the bill went into effect in July, Katz took to Facebook to warn Virginia residents of the bill’s inclusions and provisions that he believed were bad. He’s also included a short video to further substantiate his points.

Katz believes that the state of Virginia should have provided a legal source and market for the purchase of cannabis for cannabis to be legal. He added that with the provisions of the new law, residents will have to grow their own crops. Not everyone can go to the trouble of growing their cannabis, so they will likely buy their product from street drug dealers or other illegal sources.

Katz has assured Chesterfield residents that maintaining public safety is his first and foremost duty.

Only two arrests were made in Henrico. The remaining three arrests occurred in Richmond.

What that means

The sharp drop in arrests shows that the new policy is what the public needs. The legislation already lives up to expectations and works the same way as cannabis legislation in other states.

The consistency of the arrests, remarks, public comments and other observations after legalization shows that the new law has been carefully worded taking all factors into account.

Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of the Virginia section of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said she was delighted with the latest statistics on cannabis arrests.

The change in the law did not go smoothly

Most of those arrested said they had no clue about the details of the new law. They said they had no idea what the law allows and what it doesn’t.

At least ten of the 20 perpetrators caught in Chesterfield are between 16 and 20 years old. Fortunately for them, this is a civil offense as they have been charged with possession of minors.

Final note

It would do the government very good to have publications that explain the law in simple terms for all to understand.

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