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."
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Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, called for actions like an advertising boycott of Facebook for its hands-off approach to allowing racist and racially-charged posts to proliferate.
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NBA Executive, Michele Roberts joins Cheddar to talk discuss being the first woman and person of color to join Cresco Labs' board of directors. Roberts has also been instrumental in the return of the NBA season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Circus ringmaster Kevin Venardos found himself navigating a world unable to support his live shows amid the shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Louisville's mayor said Friday that one of three police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor will be fired.
Cheddar's Need2Know Podcast for Fri., June 19, 2020.
Cheddar's Need2Know Podcast for Thurs., June 18, 2020.
The Atlanta officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in the back after the fleeing man pointed a stun gun in his direction is going to be charged. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard made the announcement about Garrett Rolfe during a news conference Wednesday.
With ridership down some 85 percent — and a return to normal still a way off — data suggests New Yorkers are swapping their MetroCards for car keys and taking to the streets.
