NORFOLK, Va. — As the Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly gets closer to sending a bill to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that could create a retail marijuana market, statewide law enforcement groups aren't jumping on board.
"We are not ready for this, not when we need help on so many other factors before we can do this safely," said Dana Schrad, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and Foundation's executive director.
Schrad and several other law enforcement organizations penned a letter to the members of the General Assembly arguing that a legalized retail marijuana market could impact public safety.
Part of the letter claims "A retail market in Virginia will mean an increase in crime, arrests, DUI's with no significant change in tax revenue."
The groups also claimed "cannabis is more addictive than alcohol," and cited a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that found around 30% of cannabis users have cannabis use disorder, compared to 11% of alcohol users.
"If we pass this retail market — and we believe that we can't — then all these other problems will go unresolved," said Schrad.
However, marijuana advocates are pushing back on their claims.
"All of these claims are dubious at best," said JM Pedini, development director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
Pedini fought back against many of the statements in the letter. They pointed to a 2016 study by JAMA Psychiatry that debunked a 30% increase in cannabis use disorder.
It found in part "Researchers determined that while the self-reported use of cannabis by adults increased, reports of cannabis-related problems actually declined during this same period (2002 to 2013).
Pedini said Virginia is not any less prepared to create a retail market for marijuana than any other state.
"We have over two decades of real-world regulatory experience with cannabis in the United States - so we know what happens when states legalize and regulate the retail sale of cannabis to adults and this is not it," said Pedini.
Virginia remains the only state to have legalized marijuana in the state but has not created a market for it.
For some business owners who have waited years for this moment, they said it's been a frustrating process.
"We would love to be a legal recreational dispensary and we are abiding by everything possible that the legislators are giving us to go by and now...it's time," said Ryan Boyce, co-owner of GROW VA in Virginia Beach.
Youngkin will have the final say, and he has not explicitly said whether or not he will support or veto the bills.