While other states are becoming more open to the prospect of legalizing the sale of marijuana within their borders, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin made it crystal clear that Virginia was not going to be one of those.
On Thursday, the Old Dominion official vetoed a bill that would have created a legal market for the recreational drug, according to The Hill.
The bills, House Bill 698 and Senate Bill 448, had already been passed by both chambers of the state legislature and were awaiting signature from the governor.
Youngkin said he decided to veto the bills because creating a marijuana market ultimately “endangers Virginians’ health and safety,” according to a statement on the governor’s website.
“States following this path have seen adverse effects on children’s and adolescent’s health and safety, increased gang activity and violent crime, significant deterioration in mental health, decreased road safety, and significant costs associated with retail marijuana that far exceed tax revenue,” he argued.
The governor also noted that creating a legal market would “not eliminate the illegal black-market sale of cannabis, nor guarantee product safety,” something many advocates for its legalization argue.
“Marijuana carries the same dangers as other drugs; the Commonwealth recognized this when it created a medical marijuana system,” his statement added. “Opioids and other controlled substances are highly regulated and require the consultation of a medical provider to mitigate their negative consequences.”
“Even with those protections in place, these drugs have had perverse and dangerous consequences for Virginians. The same is true for marijuana.”
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