Virginia Lawmakers are bringing legalization talks back to the table

There are many reasons for legalization advocates to feel confident about the outlook for Virginia in 2021. You have the backing of the incumbent governor and polls showing voters in the Commonwealth are ready to take the leap too. Now they have the legislation to make it a reality. The new bill comes through Steve Heretick, Democrat, a member of the Virginia House of Representatives who has proposed legalization in the past. While these previous efforts have all petered out, there are good reasons to believe that this time around will be different. The most obvious reason, of course, is the dramatic shift in public opinion on marijuana legalization in the United States - a shift that has brought an end to prohibition in both the blue and red states. Polls show that there is similarly robust support for legalization in Virginia. A 2019 survey by the University of Mary Washington found that 61 percent of adults in the Commonwealth are in favor of legalizing marijuana. Encouraged by this relaxed public attitude, prominent Democratic Virginia lawmakers have also embraced legalization in recent years. In 2019, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said he supported an end to Prohibition; In his announcement, Herring even cited the University of Mary Washington poll as a reason for Virginia to take the move.  "The Virginians know we can do better. It is time to move towards legal, regulated adult use," Herring said at the time.