A day after 4/20, Northam rolls up legal marijuana victory with bill signing

Governor Ralph Northam in Richmond Wednesday touting the work of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly who first decriminalized and then legalized recreational marijuana for use and for profit.

“This is yet another example of Democrats, yes Democrats, listening to Virginians and taking action on the will of the people,” he said during his comments inside the Patrick Henry Building.

Becoming the first state in the South to make cannabis legal to grow and to possess makes Virginia the source of new beginnings and revenue in many parts of the commonwealth, according to Governor Ralph Northam.

The over-the-counter retail sale of pot to consumers will not take place until 2024 but Northam says the companies that grow, market, and sell it will gain generational wealth. He noted citizens in the past lost out on jobs, education, and other opportunities because of outdated drug laws.

A study from the Assembly’s JLARC Commission said the arrest rate of African-Americans was three times those of other groups.

“We know that marijuana laws in Virginia and throughout this country have been disproportionally enforced against communities of color and low-income Virginians,” Northam said.