Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoes bill that would legalize weed sales in Virginia declaring cannabis ‘bad’ and a gateway to gang activity and violent crime

Virginia’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, vetoed a bill that would have legalized the sale of marijuana in the commonwealth.

Legislation to create a commercial marijuana retail market in the state passed in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year.

Sales would have started next year, but the Republican Party governor said “cannabis is bad” for the state.

‘I“In all the other states that have had an expanded retail market, first of all, what you see is it’s terrible for the health and safety of children and adolescents, a huge increase in child poisoning, a huge increase in adolescent use,” claimed Youngkin in an interview with a local. reporter for WJLA-TV.

“And when you combine that with the fact that the potency of cannabis today is dangerous, it drives mental health issues and mental health diseases to the point of psychosis,” he continued.

Youngkin also claimed that states have seen a “systematic increase” in violent crimes with marijuana sales.

“Cannabis is bad for Virginia, the law enforcement community doesn’t want it, healthcare workers don’t want it and let me tell you, parents don’t want it in their children’s lives,” Youngkin said.

In 2021, Virginia became the first state in the South to legalize marijuana possession for adults 21 and older under then-Democratic Governor Ralph Northam, but the standoff had since prevented the state from establishing a retail market.

Earlier this year, Youngkin said he really had no “interest” in it and did not say how he would respond to the bill as it moves through the state Legislature.

The bill would have allowed Virginia to start taking applications for sales starting in September, while markets would open in May 2025.

After vetoing the bill, Youngkin rejected the argument that the measure would increase revenues in the state, saying that was not the case in Colorado.

Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana possession for adults 21 and older in 2021, but the road to creating a retail market faced a series of setbacks

Marijuana sales in Colorado have totaled more than $15 billion since legalization in 2014, while taxes on sales totaled more than $2.5 billion, a small portion of the entire state budget.

In Virginia, product sales would be taxed at a rate of up to 11.625 percent, with 8 percent of that going to the state, 2.5 percent a local option tax and 1.125 percent going to K-12 education.

Democrats control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the legislation passed largely along party lines, with only a few Republicans supporting it.

Marijuana is legal for medical use in 38 states and Washington, DC and for recreational use in 24 states.