Virginia Governor’s Budget Funds Marijuana Expungements And Preparation For Legalization
The governor of Virginia on Wednesday unveiled a budget proposal that “lays the groundwork to legalize marijuana” by including millions of dollars to support efforts to expunge cannabis convictions as well as steps to set up the state to eventually implement a system of commercial sales.
Related Knowledge Center: Cannabis: Virginia
Virginia, where medical cannabis is legal, is amid an effort driven by Gov. Ralph Northam to legalize recreational marijuana.
Related Knowledge Center: Cannabis: expungement
With many states moving to legalize or decriminalize cannabis, laws to expunge criminal records for offenses of which the underlying conduct is no longer a crime have been enacted in many states. Although no federal laws currently exist to expunge records of cannabis-related crimes, many states have signed expungement programs into law. Additionally, some states have enacted legislation providing automatic expungement or sealing of records for those convicted of certain cannabis-related crimes.