Virginia senators throw out the governor’s amendment to criminalize possession of cannabis
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A proposed amendment to Virginia Senate Law 591 by Gov. Glen Youngkin (R) would have made marijuana possession a more serious matter than it is today. However, Youngkin’s efforts failed because lawmakers refused to move the bill forward altogether, advocacy group NORML reported.
SB 591 was again referred by lawmakers to the Senate Rehabilitation and Human Services Committee, but since the 2022 legislative session has already ended, the legislation will not advance further this year.
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The governor’s amendment would have punished possession of more than 2 ounces of cannabis with up to six months in prison and/or a $1,000 fine. Possession of over 6 ounces of weed would have been punishable by up to 12 months in prison and/or a $2,500 fine.
“The good news is that Governor Youngkin’s efforts to recriminalize personal property have failed,” said JM Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML and director of development for NORML.
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“The bad news is that legislature inaction today allows products containing unregulated and potentially unsafe synthetically derived THC products to continue to proliferate in Virginia,” Pedini added.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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