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Virginia looks like it might be one of the next states to decriminalize marijuana. A Northern Virginia lawmaker is bringing the debate to the Virginia Senate. The bill being introduced is sponsored by Senator Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, and it would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults.
“This has never been discussed in the Virginia Senate in a decriminalization way, and it needs to be,” Ebbin said.
The bill that is being introduced to the Virginia Senate will make the penalty associated with the possession of marijuana much less severe. Instead of being a criminal offense, it would be classified as a civil offense and violators would receive a $100 fine. Also, adults would no longer have their driver’s license suspended if they are convicted.
The decriminalization of marijuana has been a trend sweeping the nation and close to 20 other states have decriminalized marijuana. These states include Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
“It makes criminals out of regular, non-violent citizens,” Ebbin said. “We are not good stewards of taxpayer dollars when we arrest and prosecute non-violent Virginians for possessing marijuana, and it’s a civil rights disaster…there’s a tremendous racial disparity in the enforcement of marijuana laws.”
According to ACLU, more than 18,000 people were arrested on marijuana charges in Virginia since 2010.
Ebbin has received a lot of support from lawmakers, politicians and the community for this bill. The only known opposition he has received is from the Fraternal Order of Police.
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