With a new Democratic majority in the state legislature, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is hoping to make major reforms to the state's cannabis laws.
Herring, who is hosting a cannabis summit on December 11, told Cheddar on Tuesday he is bringing together legislators and experts in an effort to push forward his calls for reform.
"I'm really encouraged about the prospect of actually passing decriminalization in Virginia and the prospect of actually passing a plan to move to legal and regulated adult use," he said.
Herring is hopeful that by providing lawmakers a space to ask questions and address concerns with experts, as well as individuals from states that have already legalized or decriminalized marijuana use, his state can move towards passing new legislation.
Marijuana arrests in Virginia hit a 20-year high in 2018, and enforcement costs the state more than $80 million annually, Herring said.
"In Virginia, an arrest and a criminal conviction stays with you your whole life … That's not fair," he said, noting the disproportionate number of black Virginians arrested for marijuana possession.
But he says he is confident Virginia can move forward "in a historic way."
Cheddar recs "The Chair," "Sweet Girl," "Annette," and "The Hype."
An Australian farmer unable to attend his aunt’s funeral because of pandemic restrictions has paid his respects by arranging dozens of sheep in the shape of a love heart.
The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says it plans to build an undersea tunnel so that massive amounts of treated but still radioactive water can be released into the ocean about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) away from the plant to avoid interference with local fishing.
Two suicide bombers and gunmen have targeted crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul’s airport, in the waning days of a massive airlift that has drawn thousands of people seeking to flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
All the news you Need2Know for Thursday, August 26, 2021.
OnlyFans says it has suspended a plan to ban sexually explicit content following an outcry from its creators and advocates for sex workers.
All the news you Need2Know for Wednesday, August 25, 2021.
Cheddar's Jill Wagner reports on the explosion of food-allergy friendly and vegan food options, like Abe's Vegan Muffins factory in West Nyack, N.Y., that are saving kids and their parents from safety worries.
Cryptograph is auctioning NFTs of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in early career photos that had never before been made public.
All the news you Need2Know for Tuesday, August 24, 2021.
