• State News
  • National News
  • Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Subscribe For $2.50/month
Print Editions
Henry County Enterprise
  • News
    • Neighborhood News
    • Business
    • Community Calendar
    • State News
    • National News
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds
  • eEnterprise
  • Spiritual
    • The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Parabola
    • Southern Baptist
  • My account
  • Login
  • FAQ
No Result
View All Result
Henry County Enterprise
No Result
View All Result
Henry County Enterprise
No Result
View All Result

Group hopes to stall marijuana legalization in Virginia

Enterprise by Enterprise
January 23, 2021
in Local News
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Brandon Martin

As the push to legalize marijuana in Virginia gains traction among Democrats in the General Assembly, a group of advocates is organizing in opposition to the legislation.

The group ━ Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) ━ seeks β€œto educate citizens on the science of marijuana and to promote health-first, smart policies and attitudes that decrease marijuana use and its consequences,” according to their website.

During a Jan. 19 virtual panel discussion, the group held a about their reasons for opposing the legalization and commercialization of marijuana, Will Jones, community outreach and communications associate for SAM, said that legalization efforts are akin to a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

β€œIt’s being couched in phrases as something that would accomplish social justice goals,” Jones said. β€œLast year, Virginia decriminalized marijuana. That is an advancement of social justice goals by relieving penalties for personal possession.”

Jones referred to the marijuana push as an β€œaddiction for profit industry,” adding that other states in which marijuana legislation was pushed with the intent to achieve social justice goals β€œhave fallen short.

β€œIt’s less than four percent ownership in the industry by people of color,” Jones said. β€œThis system has been gamed time and time again by wealthy white entrepreneurs who are taking advantage of legalization and commercialization.

At the end of the day, we have to realize that is what this is about. We need to ask ourselves if we are ready for the consequences of an addiction for-profit industry proliferating in Virginia. Commercialization and legalization is another extreme on the spectrum of marijuana policy,” Jones said of the push for decriminalization.

While some tax benefits may come from legalization, other group members like Mary Crozier, the immediate past president of Community Coalitions of Virginia, said the funds likely would not be used appropriately.

β€œIt doesn’t seem enough funds are going to behavioral health and substance prevention coalitions throughout the state,” Crozier said, and added it is β€œa false dichotomy” to funnel tax funds from marijuana into minority communities while simultaneously establishing β€œparity in those communities with a substance that is toxic and risky to the individuals in that community.”

Regina Whitsett, executive director of Substance Abuse Free Environment, said taxation on the businesses in the industry would also be high.

β€œThey are talking about a 30 percent tax by the time they do the sales tax and the taxes at the locality level,” she said. β€œThey are also talking about home grows. They are giving people permission to grow up to four plants in their home. There will be a black market because the product will be cheaper on the black market rather than them paying the taxes.”

Members of SAM also discussed the health implications.

β€œI’ve never seen a larger gap between the science and the public’s perception when it came to the harmful effects of marijuana,” said Dr. James Avery, Virginia co-state director of the American Academy of Medical Ethics.

Dr. Jonathan Lee, immediate past president of the Virginia Society of Addiction Medicine, said the health effects were wide.

β€œThe American Society of Addiction Medicine warned against cannabis use in youth, adolescents, young adults, people with a history of mental illness or substance-use disorders,” Lee said. β€œCannabis dependence develops in approximately 10 percent of regular cannabis users. It may be associated with cognitive impairment, poor school or work performance, and psychiatric illnesses including anxiety, depression with suicidal ideation and psychosis or paranoia.”

Linda Moore, a parent who is concerned about marijuana legislation, said her β€œson at age 21, developed psychosis from smoking pot. He has since been to a 90-day rehab, come off all his medication and is functioning as a normal 22-year-old boy. This has turned our lives upside down in many ways.”

Moore pleaded for proponents of legalization β€œto do the research” before β€œthey legalize something that is killing our children and causing harm.”

Due to the impacts on youth, Octavia Marsh, the executive director of Hanover Cares, also opposes legalization.

β€œWe primarily focus on youth prevention,” Marsh said, and added marijuana legalization β€œsimply does not consider or offer any protections against youth access. In the states that have legalized, both youth access and use have increased.”

Marsh said that youth would perceive β€œany substance that is legal as safe, and we all know that legal does not necessarily mean safe.”

Prevention strategies Marsh would like to see implemented include β€œan education curriculum, community and parenting education, as well as harm reduction and safeguards.”

The group also warned against more traffic accidents due to use.

β€œStudies show that it impairs every critical skill set associated with driving a car,” Avery said. β€œWe don’t have the equivalent of a breathalyzer test. Seventy percent of marijuana users have admitted to driving while high and about the same percent said they know they won’t get caught.”

Noting a study of fatal car crashes in Washington pre-legalization, John Jones, executive director of the Virginia Sheriffs Association, said β€œ8.8 percent of those people were using THC. In the five–year period after legalization, the 8.8 percent jumped to 18 percent.”

After recently researching the population of all local and regional jails in the state, Jones said

β€œAt the time, we had about 26,000 inmates serving in those local and regional jails. There were seven people incarcerated that were charged with marijuana possession only.”

Jones said only about β€œone-tenth of one percent” of resources are used by law enforcement to combat marijuana.

While SAM opposes the legalization of marijuana, Virginians appear to largely be in favor of it.

According to a 2017 poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, 59 percent of Virginia voters supported allowing adults to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

The number only grew in 2019 when the University of Mary Washington conducted a similar poll that found that 61 percent of Virginia voters support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults.

For more information on the current bill to legalize marijuana in Virginia, visit: https://www.wjhl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/98/2021/01/491069422-Virginia-Legalization-of-Marijuana-2021-Introduced-010620.pdf

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) seeks provide education on the science of marijuana and to promote health-first, smart policies and attitudes that decrease marijuana use and its consequences.

Sign up to our Newsletters.

Enter your email address to receive weekly notifications straight to your inbox.

Please confirm your subscription!
Some fields are missing or incorrect!
Lists
Previous Post

Sign-up for Phase 1b vaccine opens Monday

Next Post

High school teacher appointed to state committee works to identify best education practices in future

Next Post
High school teacher appointed to state committee  works to identify best education practices in future

High school teacher appointed to state committee works to identify best education practices in future

Sign up to our Newsletters.

Enter your email address to receive weekly notifications straight to your inbox.

Please confirm your subscription!
Some fields are missing or incorrect!
Lists
  • State News
  • National News
  • Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Call us: 304-647-5724

  • Login
Forgot Password?
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
body::-webkit-scrollbar { width: 7px; } body::-webkit-scrollbar-track { border-radius: 10px; background: #f0f0f0; } body::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { border-radius: 50px; background: #dfdbdb }
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Neighborhood News
    • Business
    • Community Calendar
    • State News
    • National News
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds
  • eEnterprise
  • Spiritual
    • The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Parabola
    • Southern Baptist
  • My account
  • Login
  • FAQ