Virginia legislators disagree on retrial of cannabis convictions |

Adult cannabis sales could begin in Virginia next year, but lawmakers across the Commonwealth remain at odds over what to do with people currently jailed on cannabis charges.

The Virginia Mercury reported that a committee of members of the Senate and House of Representatives “charged with making recommendations for the legislative session beginning Wednesday finished its work this week with a proposal to begin recreational sales in 2023 — a year ahead of schedule,” but these lawmakers “said they had run out of time to reach an agreement” on the issue of re-sentencing for cannabis convictions.

The current state of affairs in Virginia looks very different from last spring, when a Democrat-controlled General Assembly passed legislation making Virginia the first Southern state to legalize recreational cannabis.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed the law into law, hailing it as a new day for criminal justice in the Commonwealth.

“What that really means is that people will no longer be arrested or face penalties for simple possession that follows them and affects their lives,” Northam said at the time. “We know that marijuana laws in Virginia and across the country have been disproportionately enforced against black and low-income Virginians.”

Last week, as lawmakers convened in the capital, Richmond, the GOP officially took control of half of the General Assembly. And on Saturday, Republican Glenn Youngkin was sworn in as the new governor of Virginia.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s recommendation to start selling cannabis next year came last week before the opening of the legislature.

Youngkin said in an interview earlier this month that he “won’t seek to repeal the personal property law,” but the governor-elect – who defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in November – balked at the issue of pot sales.

“When it comes to commercialization, I think there is still a lot to do. I’m not against it, but there’s still work to be done,” Youngkin told Virginia Business. “There are some non-starters, including the forced unionization that is in the current bill. Law enforcement agencies have raised concerns about how the loophole in the laws will actually be enforced. Finally, it is imperative to ensure that we are not promoting an anti-competitive industry. I understand there are preferences to ensure all participants in the industry are qualified to do the industry well.”

The issue of how to deal with those currently serving time for cannabis was not raised in this interview, nor was it raised by the Legislative Committee last week.

The Virginia Mercury reported that the “Virginia Department of Corrections says 10 individuals are currently serving sentences in which the most serious offense was marijuana,” and that in “all cases the individuals were convicted of transporting five or more pounds of marijuana the.” Country.”

“All 10 are expected to be released over the next six years, according to the department that presented the data to the Assembly’s Cannabis Oversight Commission on Monday,” the report reads. “Another 560 people are serving sentences partially related to a marijuana-related offense but were also found guilty of more serious offenses.”

In the interview with Virginia Business earlier this month, Youngkin spoke about the potential economic boon of legalization, especially for minority communities.

“I’m all for opportunities for minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses [and] military companies,” he said. “We also need to make sure they have the skills to compete and thrive in the industry. So, I think there’s work to be done. All of this is on the table. Again, I’m not trying to repeal the law, but I think we need to make sure it works.”