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."
With the Scripps National Spelling Bee canceled, many top spellers who would have been on the bee stage this week are instead competing online. The SpellPundit National Online Spelling Bee was launched by two teenage ex-spellers to fill the void left by Scripps' decision.
Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White joins Lion Brand's Stitch Around The World efforts. The group looks to bring crafters around the world together.
Visitation to National Park Service sites has seen a boom in recent years. For five years in a row, the park service has tallied over 300 million visitors per year. It’s an unprecedented spike, and the reason why this is happening now goes deeper than social media alone. While the threat of COVID-19 will likely change those numbers this year, the park service is still figuring out how to regain the balance between preservation and visitation. Cheddar explains the history of crowding in America’s national parks, and the impacts we are seeing from that today.
Officials from SeaWorld and Disney World say they hope to open their theme parks in Orlando, Florida, in June and July. A city task force approved the plans on Wednesday.
NASA is rolling out the International Space Station's red carpet for Tom Cruise.
President Donald Trump is threatening social media companies with new regulation or even closure after Twitter added fact checks to two of his tweets.
Only about half of Americans say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if the scientists working furiously to create one succeed.
While much of the U.S. remains shuttered, state and local leaders in waterfront communities are beginning to allow beaches, boardwalks, and coastal businesses to open on a limited basis.
While the choice to get out this Memorial Day is ultimately a calculated personal risk, many are hoping to find a way to see friends and family for the first time in months.
Backyard grilling is an American institution. But have you ever wondered where it came from? You might be surprised to learn that the history of your weekend barbecue twists and turns back through the earliest years of America’s past.
