Marijuana; legalization of simple possession, etc. (HB2312)

Introduced By

Del. Charniele Herring (D-Alexandria) with support from 24 copatrons, whose average partisan position is:

Those copatrons are Del. Dawn Adams (D-Richmond), Del. Hala Ayala (D-Woodbridge), Del. Jeff Bourne (D-Richmond), Del. Lee Carter (D-Manassas), Del. Josh Cole (D-Fredericksburg), Del. Kelly Fowler (D-Virginia Beach), Del. Elizabeth Guzman (D-Dale City), Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax Station), Del. Steve Heretick (D-Portsmouth), Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), Del. Chris Hurst (D-Blacksburg), Del. Clinton Jenkins (D-Suffolk), Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church), Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria), Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington), Del. Delores McQuinn (D-Richmond), Del. Cia Price (D-Newport News), Del. David Reid (D-Loudoun), Del. Ibraheem Samirah (D-Herndon), Del. Don Scott (D-Portsmouth), Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church), Del. Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News), Sen. Lamont Bagby (D-Richmond), Del. Angelia Williams Graves (D-Norfolk)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Marijuana; legalization; retail sales; penalties. Eliminates criminal penalties for simple possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older, modifies several other criminal penalties related to marijuana, and imposes limits on dissemination of criminal history record information related to certain marijuana offenses. The bill creates the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (the Authority), the Cannabis Oversight Commission, the Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council, the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board and Fund, and the Virginia Cannabis Equity Business Loan Program and Fund and establishes a regulatory and licensing structure for the cultivation, manufacture, wholesale, and retail sale of retail marijuana and retail marijuana products, to be administered by the Authority. The bill contains social equity provisions that, among other things, provide support and resources to persons and communities that have been historically and disproportionately affected by drug enforcement. The bill has staggered effective dates, and numerous provisions of the bill are subject to reenactment by the 2022 Session of the General Assembly. This bill incorporates HB 1815 and is identical to SB 1406. See H. B. 2312 Enrolled PDF text: https://lis.virginia.gov/000/housecannabisenrolled.pdf See H. B. 2312 Governor's Substitute PDF text: https://lis.virginia.gov/000/housecannabisgovernorsub.pdf See H. B. 2312 Re-Enrolled PDF text: https://lis.virginia.gov/000/housecannabisreenrolled.pdf Read the Bill »

Status

04/07/2021: enacted

History

DateAction
01/20/2021Presented and ordered printed 21101659D
01/20/2021Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/21/2021Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312)
01/25/2021Assigned GL sub: ABC/Gaming
01/29/2021House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
01/30/2021Incorporates HB1815 (Heretick)
01/30/2021Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 1-N)
01/30/2021Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/30/2021House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
01/30/2021Reported from General Laws with substitute (14-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
01/30/2021Committee substitute printed 21104236D-H1
01/30/2021Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/30/2021Incorporates HB 1815 (Heretick)
01/31/2021House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
01/31/2021Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 8-N) (see vote tally)
01/31/2021Committee substitute printed 21104248D-H2
01/31/2021Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/02/2021Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312H2)
02/03/2021Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312H1)
02/03/2021Reported from Appropriations (14-Y 7-N) (see vote tally)
02/03/2021Impact statement from DPB (HB2312H2)
02/03/2021Read first time
02/04/2021Read second time
02/04/2021Committee on General Laws substitute rejected 21104236D-H1
02/04/2021Committee Courts of Justice substitute agreed to 21104248D-H2
02/04/2021Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB2312H2
02/05/2021Pending question ordered
02/05/2021Read third time and passed House (55-Y 42-N 2-A)
02/05/2021VOTE: Passage (55-Y 42-N 2-A) (see vote tally)
02/05/2021Constitutional reading dispensed
02/05/2021Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services
02/05/2021Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Rehabilitation and Social Services (14-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/12/2021Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
02/12/2021Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute (8-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
02/12/2021Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
02/12/2021Committee substitute printed 21200016D-S1
02/12/2021Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 3-N) (see vote tally)
02/15/2021Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2021Read third time
02/16/2021Reading of substitute waived
02/16/2021Committee substitute agreed to 21200016D-S1
02/16/2021Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB2312S1
02/16/2021Passed Senate with substitute (23-Y 16-N) (see vote tally)
02/18/2021VOTE: Adoption (0-Y 99-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/18/2021Placed on Calendar
02/18/2021Senate substitute rejected by House 21200016D-S1 (0-Y 99-N 1-A)
02/18/2021VOTE: REJECTED (0-Y 99-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/19/2021Senate insisted on substitute (38-Y 0-N)
02/19/2021Senate requested conference committee
02/19/2021House acceded to request
02/19/2021Conferees appointed by House
02/19/2021Delegates: Herring, Mullin, Torian, Bagby, Knight
02/19/2021Conferees appointed by Senate
02/19/2021Senators: Ebbin, Lucas, McPike, Surovell, Dunnavant
02/27/2021C Amended by conference committee
02/27/2021Conference substitute printed 21200441D-H3
02/27/2021Passed by temporarily
02/27/2021Pending question ordered
02/27/2021Conference report agreed to by House (48-Y 43-N 2-A)
02/27/2021VOTE: Agreed To (48-Y 43-N 2-A)
02/27/2021Conference report agreed to by Senate (20-Y 19-N)
03/02/2021Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312H3)
03/09/2021Enrolled
03/09/2021Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2312ER)
03/09/2021Signed by President
03/11/2021Signed by Speaker
03/15/2021Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 15, 2021
03/15/2021G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 31, 2021
03/19/2021Impact statement from DPB (HB2312ER)
03/31/2021Governor's substitute printed 21200898D-H4
03/31/2021Governor's recommendation received by House
04/02/2021Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312H4)
04/07/2021Placed on Calendar
04/07/2021Pending question ordered
04/07/2021House concurred in Governor's recommendation (53-Y 44-N 2-A)
04/07/2021VOTE: Adoption (53-Y 44-N 2-A)
04/07/2021Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (20-Y 20-N)
04/07/2021Chair votes Yes
04/07/2021G Governor's recommendation adopted
04/07/2021Reenrolled
04/07/2021Reenrolled bill text (HB2312ER2)
04/07/2021Signed by Speaker as reenrolled
04/07/2021Signed by President as reenrolled
04/07/2021Chair votes Yea
04/07/2021Enacted, Chapter 551
04/07/2021Enacted, Chapter 551 (effective - see bill)
04/07/2021G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0551)