Virginia Senate Votes Against Governor’s Amendment to Criminalize Possession of Cannabis
- 2 years ago
The #Virginia #Senate recently sent Senate Bill 591 to the #Rehabilitation and #Social Services committee, and will not be considered further now that the #2022 legislative session concluded, as of #March 12. A final vote was made on #April 27, with a 20-20 #vote, and a tie-breaker vote from Lt. Gov. Winsome #Sears. If passed, the bill would have prohibited #cannabis #edibles “in the shape of a #human, #animal, #vehicle, or #fruit,” as well as ban #Delta-8 #THC products. Additionally, the bill included penalties for anyone who was in possession of more than two #ounces of cannabis.
Former #Democratic Gov. Ralph #Northam signed legislation to legalize cannabis in April 2021, which went into effect starting July 1, 2021. Northam ended his run as governor in #January 2022, and was replaced by current Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
SB-591 was introduced by Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. which initially received #support, especially in relation to preventing cannabis #edibles from being appealing to children.
However, when the bill was sent to Youngkin’s desk for a signature, he sent it back with numerous amendments that altered the bill’s regulations regarding #CBD, Delta-8 THC products and adding penalties for possession over the legal limit. “ Furthermore, Ebbin’s own bill, Senate Bill 391, was also proposed in the 2022 legislative session, and was passed in the Senate but did not pass in the House. His bill opened up regulations for current medical cannabis dispensaries to begin selling recreational cannabis. He’s also the chair of the Cannabis Oversight Commission, which will review both SB-591 and SB-391 for discussion in 2023.
“I’ve learned not to be overly optimistic in this field,” Ebbin said. “This is a product that’s now legal for #adults 21 and older. So, it’s in our best interest to make sure this is a tested, regulated product. ”Youngkin recently took action on medical cannabis in April, and signed legislation that no longer requires medical cannabis patients to register with the #Virginia Board of #Pharmacy when they are certified by a medical provider. The state is home to more than 47,000 #medical cannabis patients, with an estimated 8,000 waiting to be approved.
Distributed by: Cannabis Broadcast Station/ Infinity Broadcast Network
http://www.cannabisbroadcaststation.com
Former #Democratic Gov. Ralph #Northam signed legislation to legalize cannabis in April 2021, which went into effect starting July 1, 2021. Northam ended his run as governor in #January 2022, and was replaced by current Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
SB-591 was introduced by Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. which initially received #support, especially in relation to preventing cannabis #edibles from being appealing to children.
However, when the bill was sent to Youngkin’s desk for a signature, he sent it back with numerous amendments that altered the bill’s regulations regarding #CBD, Delta-8 THC products and adding penalties for possession over the legal limit. “ Furthermore, Ebbin’s own bill, Senate Bill 391, was also proposed in the 2022 legislative session, and was passed in the Senate but did not pass in the House. His bill opened up regulations for current medical cannabis dispensaries to begin selling recreational cannabis. He’s also the chair of the Cannabis Oversight Commission, which will review both SB-591 and SB-391 for discussion in 2023.
“I’ve learned not to be overly optimistic in this field,” Ebbin said. “This is a product that’s now legal for #adults 21 and older. So, it’s in our best interest to make sure this is a tested, regulated product. ”Youngkin recently took action on medical cannabis in April, and signed legislation that no longer requires medical cannabis patients to register with the #Virginia Board of #Pharmacy when they are certified by a medical provider. The state is home to more than 47,000 #medical cannabis patients, with an estimated 8,000 waiting to be approved.
Distributed by: Cannabis Broadcast Station/ Infinity Broadcast Network
http://www.cannabisbroadcaststation.com