{"id":102853,"date":"2020-12-03T05:24:35","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T10:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shoredailynews.com\/?p=77545"},"modified":"2020-12-03T05:24:35","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T10:24:35","slug":"northam-paves-the-way-for-legal-pot-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shoredailynews.com\/headlines\/northam-paves-the-way-for-legal-pot-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Northam paves the way for legal pot in Virginia"},"content":{"rendered":"

RICHMOND<\/strong>\u2014Governor Ralph Northam\u00a0 released the Administration\u2019s report on the impact of legalizing adult-use marijuana in the Commonwealth of Virginia.<\/p>\n

The report is the final product of the\u00a0Virginia Marijuana Legalization Work Group<\/a>, and it results from a diverse, stakeholder-driven process that involved\u00a0community leaders, healthcare professionals, policy experts, and government officials. This months-long effort was a key part of marijuana decriminalization\u00a0legislation<\/a>\u00a0passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, and follows Governor Northam\u2019s\u00a0recent announcement<\/a>\u00a0that he intends to advance marijuana legalization in Virginia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will advance new laws to make sure that our Commonwealth legalizes marijuana the right way,\u201d\u00a0said Governor Northam. \u201cVirginia has studied the experience of other states and this report lays out a path forward that leads with social equity, public health, and public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comprehensive report includes nearly 400 pages of meeting minutes and outlines various aspects of marijuana legalization in the Commonwealth, including taxation, banking, criminal justice, licensing and regulation, and consumer safety. It also provides additional details on the five key principles that Governor Northam wants to see in any final legalization bill:<\/p>\n