Marijuana reform is quickly moving through the Virginia legislature during a summer special session, along with another round of broader reform legislation advancing last week. The House of Delegates approved a bill to further reduce cannabis penalties by making possession in a motor vehicle a secondary offense instead of a primary one. The measure would also prevent law enforcement from conducting searches or seizing property based on the odor of marijuana alone. Making possession a secondary offense means a summons couldn’t be issued unless a person is also charged with a separate, second violation. lawmakers passed the measure in a 54-44 vote. The move comes one week after the Senate approved its own version of the legislation, meaning the two versions are set to resolve differences and potentially get the reform to the governor’s desk. Also, the House approved a bill that would give people issued a summons for cannabis possession the option of prepaying the civil penalty instead of having to go to court. The various incremental reforms come as legislators continue to pursue a broader legalization plan in the Commonwealth that would include a system of regulated and taxed sales and production.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 09/07/2020 13:06:22