Virginia MMJ
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Virginia Governor Passes New MMJ Law

Virginians are getting excited about MMJ.

Back in February, the senate unanimously passed House Bill 1251. The bill is supposed to help struggling patients obtain MMJ treatments. After getting through the legislature, the bill landed on Virginia governor desk.
On March 9th, the governor signed HB-1251 into law. So with the stroke of a pen, governor Northam massively expanded the state’s medical marijuana program. The biggest area expanded by the new law is around the non-intoxicating cannabinoid CBD.
The new law gives doctors the ability to approve a medication if they feel it will help the patient. This is far more comprehensive than the previous law passed in 2015 which only allowed use for a select few.  Under the old rules, pretty much only patients with intractable epilepsy get covered.

The new law increases access for most Virginians.

The new law allows vertically integrated pharmaceutical processing companies to dispense up to a 90 day supply to patients that fit the bill. So advocacy groups showed lots of support for the bill as well. Pretty much all the advocacy groups working on the bill are ecstatic.
The executive director of Virginia NORML, Jenn Michelle Pedini, praised the law in local coverage. She told reporters in an interview, “This will bring relief to thousands of Virginians suffering from cancer, Crohn’s disease and PTSD,”. Pedini continued, “We could not be happier with the unanimous passage of these bills.”
These reforms come after a broad change in public opinion in the last few decades. According to a 2017 poll by Quinnipiac University, about 94% of Virginians approve of the medicinal use of cannabis. In addition, the poll found that a majority (59%) of Virginians support recreational marijuana as well.

Virginia doesn’t want opioids.

Republican House Delegate Benjamin L. Cline (r) Sponsored the bill as a way to combat the opioid epidemic. He explained to reporters that his reason for introducing the bill was to offer an alternative to patients needing pain management. He said, “This allows another option for residents of Virginia, and it does provide some assistance for pain management and may give people an alternative…”
The new bill helps many families struggling with opioids. Under the old rules, many people had to move to other states like Colorado or Oregon to get specific kinds of MMJ treatment. With the new regulations in place, those patents can stay right where they are in Virginia.

Patients don’t have to wait much longer.

Most bills like this have a transition period built into them. It gives retailers, regulators and the general population to adjust to the rules. But HB-1251 has a different clause embedded in the fine print. It says “that an emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.”
So the only thing preventing Virginian’s from enjoying the new CBD rules is licensing. Although, vertically integrated facilities are racing to get the new product on the shelves and into the hands of needy Virginians. But the new demand may prove greater than the state supply in the coming days.

What do you think about the new law? Do you know anyone who moved to get MMJ treatments? Would a law like this keep you from leaving the state for medical treatment? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!

Edit: Updated for clarity and accuracy.

gvp
CategoriesCulture, Marijuana Legalization, Marijuana News by

Governor of Vermont Veto's Pot Bill

Just when Vermont was about to make history, the governor stepped in.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, is vetoing a bill to legalize marijuana. His reasoning may be odd but at least he isn’t fundamentally opposed to legalized weed. But he is sending the bill back to the legislature for changes.
“We must get this right,” Scott said at a press conference. He then said something that makes people familiar with climate deniers and religious zealots groan.”I think we need to move a little bit slower.” He was quick to clarify that is views cannabis “through a libertarian lens” so isn’t trying to prevent legalization in principal.
Scott claimed that his actions are due to concerns about detecting and penalizing impaired drivers. He also cited protecting children, and the role and makeup of a Marijuana Regulatory Commission as areas he felt the bill didn’t do well enough.

When the door closes, look for a window.

“I recognize there is a clear societal shift in that direction.” The governor said. He plans to send recommended changes to the Democratic-majority legislature. If they address his concerns, the governor claims “there is a path forward on this issue.” One point that the governor wants defined is “how impaired is too impaired,” according to the governor’s communications director.
He also wants the legislation to define what devices might be effective at detecting people high on marijuana. But police “do not yet have reliable roadside toxicology tests that can say for sure if someone’s too high to drive in the way a breathalyzer or blood test can show if someone’s too drunk.”
Despite recreational use being illegal up till now, the Vermont Department of Health found that the state has among the “highest prevalence of marijuana use” in the country. The Vermont DOH also claims the state has the most users across all age groups, and the second highest of all states among those age 12 to 25.

Vermont was almost 9th and 1st.

If the bill hadn’t been vetoed, Vermont would have become the 9th state to legalize recreational marijuana. But it would have been the first to have done so via a legislative body. Everyone else has used a public referendum. In November, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada voters legalized recreational pot.
Vermont joints Arizona voters as the only states to have rejected it. But the Green Mountain State looks to be a lot closer to getting adjusted legislation passed. Partly because of the cooperation of the state house and senate on this issue so far. While it was difficult to come to a compromise before, the governors demands seem to be road bumps instead of roadblocks.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states have pending legislation to legalize marijuana for adults. And more than half of states allow medical use of marijuana. Hope is not lost for Vermont though. With a few tweaks, the legislation may be able to make it back to the governor’s desk. Only this time, let’s hope he actually signs it.