It limits housing, education and employment opportunities.”Marijuana busts account for nearly 60 percent of drug arrests across Virginia. (Anthony Bolante/Reuters)Herring also pointed to a 2017 study showing a racial disparity in marijuana enforcement in the state. Herring wants to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, pardon and expunge past convictions for marijuana possession and establish a framework to guide recreational use and sales of marijuana in the state. The libertarian Cato Institute estimated Virginia spent $81 million on marijuana enforcement in 2016. “Virginians overwhelmingly want a fine, not a crime, for marijuana possession,” Pedini said.

Source: Washington Post July 19, 2019 22:50 UTC