Virginia Lawmaker Announces Plans to Legalize Cannabis in Special Session

Virginia Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy has announced plans to legalize cannabis in a special session of the legislature, if the legislation wins approval from the Speaker of the House, according to a WTOP report.

A cannabis decriminalization law took effect in Virginia on July 1, and Carroll Foy told the news outlet, “If we can decriminalize, we can legalize.”

The Democrat, who represents areas of Prince William and Stafford Counties, has indicated that racial disparities in the enforcement of cannabis possession laws are also a driving force behind her legalization push, WTOP reported.

The legislation would legalize the possession of less than a half ounce of cannabis, according to the news outlet, and if the bill isn’t taken up in the special session, Carroll Foy plans to introduce it in Virginia’s 2021 legislative session.