The governor’s amendment would have made possession of over 2 ounces of cannabis punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
By
An amendment to Virginia’s Senate Bill 591, proposed by Gov. Glen Youngkin (R), would have made marijuana possession a more serious matter than it is today. However, Youngkin’s efforts fell flat because lawmakers refused to advance the bill altogether, advocacy group NORML reported.
SB 591 was re-referred by legislators to the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services committee, but, since the 2022 legislative session already ended, the legislation will not advance any further this year.
RELATED: GOP-Controlled Committee Kills Virginia Bill To Launch Rec Cannabis Sales This Year
The governor’s amendment would have made possession of over 2 ounces of cannabis punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Possession of over 6 ounces of weed would have been punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a $2,500 fine.
“The good news is, Governor Youngkin’s effort to recriminalize personal possession failed,” said JM Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML and NORML’s development director.
RELATED: Virginia Becomes First State In South To Legalize Adult Use Cannabis
“The bad news is lawmakers’ inaction today allows for 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 reposted with permission.
