Over the weekend, Governor Ralph Northam approved House Bill 972/Senate Bill 02, decriminalizing cannabis in Virginia. Decriminalization, which begins on July 1, 2020 means that cannabis possession of up to one ounce can only result in a maximum $25 citation and also means Virginians cannot be arrested or criminally charged for it. Additionally, amendments to HB 972 makes it so that past criminal records regarding cannabis charges are sealed preventing potential employers from knowing about cannabis-related charges and that what was formerly considered “hashish” now falls under the same category of cannabis.

“Virginians have long opposed the criminalization of personal marijuana possession, and Governor Northam’s signature turns that public opinion into public policy,” Jenn Michelle Pedini executive director of Virginia National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) said.

Currently, possession of cannabis in Virginia is a Class 1 misdemeanor and a first offense can result in 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. Subsequent offenses can lead to up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

In February, when it seemed as though decriminalization would likely pass in Virginia, local news affiliate ABC 8 noted that decriminalization would drastically reduce the number of arrests for cannabis possession in the state. “According to data from the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, more than 15,000 people were convicted for a first or second marijuana possession offense from July 2018 to June 2019,” ABC 8 reported. “The vast majority were sentenced to probation but more than 1,300 served time in jail for an average of about nine days.”

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