Delegate Steve Heretick [D] and five cosponsors prefiled partisan legislation last week to legalize cannabis for adults and reduce penalties for underage users in the state of Virginia.
HB2371 would permit the possession and use of cannabis by adults over the age of 21 and eliminate any penalties.
The bill also decriminalizes cannabis for people under the age of 21, reducing penalties to a $50 fine for the first violation, $100 for the second one, and $250 for each subsequent infraction. Currently, a first offense is punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and up to 30 days in jail followed by Class 1 misdemeanor charges for additional offenses.
The bill would also establish a regulatory system for cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, testing, transportation, and retail sales which would be overseen by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Retail sales of cannabis and cannabis products would come with a 15% tax, 67% of which would be deposited into the general fund. The remaining 33% would be transferred to a Retail Marijuana Education Support Fund where it would be used strictly for public education purposes.
