PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A panel discussion involving Virginia lawmakers and community leaders will highlight the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana in the Commonwealth.
Senator L. Louise Lucas, Delegate Cliff Hayes, Jr., and Delegate Don Scott are expected to attend the event at the Portsmouth Sheriff's Training Station at 1725 Green Street on Thursday. The event starts at 7:45 p.m.
The host of the event will be Pastor Barry Randall.
This discussion comes before the 2020 legislative session where policymakers will be considering laws related to cannabis use in Virginia. Now that Democrats have political control in the general assembly, Jenn Michelle Pedini, part of Virginia NORML, an organization supporting marijuana reform, said the first thing Virginia will see next year is the decriminalization of simple marijuana possession.
Current law carries a jail sentence of up to 30 days and a $500 maximum fine for a first offense.
In 2018 there was a record number of arrests for marijuana possession and in the last decade, the number of first-time marijuana convictions in Virginia has risen 53% from 6,5333 in 2008 to 10,000 in 2017.
Other topics of discussion will include criminal reform and the school to prison pipeline. Pastor Randall said the state must overhaul the judicial system when it comes to sentencing and housing persons accused of committing crimes.
