Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has proposed increasing the penalty for personal possession of more than two ounces of marijuana in Virginia, less than a year after it became the first state in the South to legalize recreational use.
Youngkin’s amendment would also limit what hemp products can be sold — a change that some CBD sellers saw as a victory compared to the more restrictive bill that came to his desk.
Under the current law, it’s legal for Virginia adults 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to four plants in their household. Possessing more than one ounce but less than a pound is subject to a civil penalty of $25, while possessing more than a pound is considered a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Youngkin’s proposal would create two new tiers of enforcement: a Class 2 misdemeanor for personal possession of more than two ounces, and a Class 1 misdemeanor for more than six ounces but under a pound.
A Youngkin official said the increased-penalty suggestion came from a recommendation by the state’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which said Virginia was the only state that had legalized small amounts of marijuana but did not include a criminal misdemeanor for amounts above the legal limit. [Read More @ The Washington Post]
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