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. Lamont Bagby (D-Richmond), Del. Jeff Bourne (D-Richmond), Del. Lee Carter (D-Manassas), Del. Josh Cole (D-Stafford), Del. Kelly Fowler (D-Virginia Beach), Del. Angelia Williams Graves (D-Norfolk), 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)

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 marijuana, modifies several other criminal penalties related to marijuana, and provides for an automatic expungement process for those convicted of certain marijuana-related crimes to have such crimes automatically expunged by July 1, 2026. The bill creates the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (the Authority) and establishes a regulatory 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 allows retail marijuana sales to begin on January 1, 2024. This bill incorporates HB 1815. See H. B. 2312 Courts of Justice Substitute PDF text: https://lis.virginia.gov/000/housecannabisbillsub2.pdf See H. B. 2312 Senate Rehabilitation Substitute PDF text: https://lis.virginia.gov/000/cannabisbillS1sub.pdf See H. B. 2312 Conference Substitute PDF text: https://lis.virginia.gov/000/cannabisconferenceH3sub.pdf Read the Bill »

Status

03/03/2021: Awaiting a Vote in the Finance and Appropriations Committee

History

Date	Action
01/20/2021	Presented and ordered printed 21101659D
01/20/2021	Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/21/2021	Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312)
01/25/2021	Assigned GL sub: ABC/Gaming
01/29/2021	House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
01/30/2021	Incorporates HB1815 (Heretick)
01/30/2021	Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 1-N)
01/30/2021	Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/30/2021	House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
01/30/2021	Reported from General Laws with substitute (14-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
01/30/2021	Committee substitute printed 21104236D-H1
01/30/2021	Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/30/2021	Incorporates HB 1815 (Heretick)
01/31/2021	House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
01/31/2021	Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 8-N) (see vote tally)
01/31/2021	Committee substitute printed 21104248D-H2
01/31/2021	Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/02/2021	Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312H2)
02/03/2021	Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312H1)
02/03/2021	Reported from Appropriations (14-Y 7-N) (see vote tally)
02/03/2021	Impact statement from DPB (HB2312H2)
02/03/2021	Read first time
02/04/2021	Read second time
02/04/2021	Committee on General Laws substitute rejected 21104236D-H1
02/04/2021	Committee Courts of Justice substitute agreed to 21104248D-H2
02/04/2021	Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB2312H2
02/05/2021	Pending question ordered
02/05/2021	Read third time and passed House (55-Y 42-N 2-A)
02/05/2021	VOTE: Passage (55-Y 42-N 2-A) (see vote tally)
02/05/2021	Constitutional reading dispensed
02/05/2021	Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services
02/05/2021	Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Rehabilitation and Social Services (14-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/12/2021	Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
02/12/2021	Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute (8-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
02/12/2021	Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
02/12/2021	Committee substitute printed 21200016D-S1
02/12/2021	Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 3-N) (see vote tally)
02/15/2021	Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2021	Read third time
02/16/2021	Reading of substitute waived
02/16/2021	Committee substitute agreed to 21200016D-S1
02/16/2021	Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB2312S1
02/16/2021	Passed Senate with substitute (23-Y 16-N) (see vote tally)
02/18/2021	VOTE: Adoption (0-Y 99-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/18/2021	Placed on Calendar
02/18/2021	Senate substitute rejected by House 21200016D-S1 (0-Y 99-N 1-A)
02/18/2021	VOTE: REJECTED (0-Y 99-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/19/2021	Senate insisted on substitute (38-Y 0-N)
02/19/2021	Senate requested conference committee
02/19/2021	House acceded to request
02/19/2021	Conferees appointed by House
02/19/2021	Delegates: Herring, Mullin, Torian, Bagby, Knight
02/19/2021	Conferees appointed by Senate
02/19/2021	Senators: Ebbin, Lucas, McPike, Surovell, Dunnavant
02/27/2021	C Amended by conference committee
02/27/2021	Conference substitute printed 21200441D-H3
02/27/2021	Passed by temporarily
02/27/2021	Pending question ordered
02/27/2021	Conference report agreed to by House (48-Y 43-N 2-A)
02/27/2021	VOTE: Agreed To (48-Y 43-N 2-A)
02/27/2021	Conference report agreed to by Senate (20-Y 19-N)
03/02/2021	Impact statement from VCSC (HB2312H3)