Virginia takes a step closer to legalizing medical marijuana

Advocates for legalizing medical marijuana on a lobbying trip to Capitol Hill.

Advocates of legalizing medical marijuana in Virginia have made some progress recently but more outreach is needed to convince state and federal lawmakers to take action.

In one bright spot, Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law a bill expanding the use of cannabis oil for medical purposes, said Jeremy Weir at a recent meeting of  the NoVA NORML Chapter in Annandale. NoVA NORML is affiliated with the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws.

That bill protects people with a certificate from a physician granting them permission to use cannabis oils for any medical purpose. The police cannot arrest anyone with such a certificate, and if they do, their case will be dropped in court.

The cannabis oils covered by that law must contain at least 15 percent CBD (cannabidiol) or at least 15 percent THCA-A (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) and no more than 5 percent THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). In other words, it’s not going to get you high but will have a medical benefit.

Research shows cannabis oils can reduce nausea, alleviate pain, and possibly slow the growth of cancer cells.

In 2017, Virginia approved a regulatory program to authorize five pharmaceutical processors in the state – one in each of five regions – to grow, produce, and sell medical marijuana oils. The Virginia Board of Pharmacy has not yet granted any “pharmaceutical processor” licenses, however.

Before, the only legal medical use for cannabis oil in Virginia was to treat people with severe epilepsy.

At the federal level, the $1.3 billion spending bill passed by Congress in March includes some protections for people arrested for possessing medical marijuana. The measure includes an amendment prohibiting the Department of Justice from prosecuting medical marijuana dispensaries and individuals possessing medical marijuana in states where it is legal.

While that bill doesn’t break new ground, it blocks efforts by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to aggressively enforce federal marijuana laws in states that have decriminalized it, which he has threatened to do.

Decriminalization is important because under current laws, African Americans are four times more likely to be arrested and more likely to be sentenced to jail time for marijuana offenses than whites, says Weir.

NoVA NORML is urging Rep. Gerry Connolly to sign on to the Marijuana Justice Act, which has been endorsed by Don Beyer. That legislation would decriminalize marijuana by removing it from the federal government’s list of controlled substances.

It would also provide incentives to states to mitigate racial disparities in state-level marijuana arrests, expunge federal convictions for marijuana possession, and allow people serving time in federal prison for marijuana-related violations to petition the court for resentencing. In addition, it would create a reinvestment fund to aid communities most hurt by the failed war on drugs.

According to NORML, 30 states plus the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis, and 63 million Americans live in jurisdictions where it is legal to possess cannabis.

A 2107 poll by Quinnipiac University reported that 60 percent of Americans believe marijuana should be legal, and 94 percent believe adults should be able to use marijuana legally for medical purposes.

In Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, a federal survey found its use among teens age 12-17 has actually decreased between 2016 and 2017. A study published earlier this month in the journal JAMA Medicine reports fewer opioid prescriptions in states that have legalized medical marijuana.