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Dear John,
Much has been said and written about marijuana since the Democrats passed legislation while they had control of the House, Senate, and Governor Northam was in charge. Let me recap a little of what has happened.
In the last few days of the 2021 session, they put copies of a bill that had not been vetted by legislative services on our desks. The bill was hundreds of pages long. They forced an immediate vote before anyone had time to read it. On a party line vote, they passed the bill. In the following hours, it became very clear why they wanted no opportunity for review. The following are some of the most questionable items.
1. Any adult could apply for a license; however, preferred consideration would be given to those with past drug convictions.
2. Applicants were required to have a shop and pay a 22% tax on sales. Not a bad policy, however, those currently selling marijuana underground would have a major advantage without these extra costs.
3. The bill limits law enforcement from cracking down on illegal sales.
4. It allows individuals to grow up to four plants for personal use, but they can give it away.
Because they knew it was poorly written, the first two items above were delayed to refine during the 2022 session. On items 3 and 4, the Democrats were focused on believing that voters would like this.
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