Virginia Public Radio, WVTF: Sen. Tim Kaine Signs On To Legislation To Decriminalize Marijuana

Written By Matt Laslo

By Matt Laslo

Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine surprised many political watchers when he tossed his support behind a new bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

Marijuana remains illegal in Virginia, but Senator Kaine still wants the state to be protected from federal enforcement if the governor and the legislature decide to decriminalize marijuana in the Commonwealth. That’s why Kaine says he is sponsoring Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s new bill to decriminalize marijuana federally.

“I think the right policy at the federal level is to decriminalize and allow states to make this choice, as we do with other criminal laws," Kaine said.  "They can make the choice.”

According to the latest data available from the Virginia State Police, the Commonwealth saw a twenty percent spike in marijuana related arrests between 2016 and 2017, even as some other states have now completely legalized the plant for recreational purposes.

Kaine says it’s time to stop locking people up over their non-violent use of marijuana. “I also think federal decriminalization can go a ways towards dealing with massive inequities in our criminal justice system and the over incarceration of individuals but especially of minorities for low level drug offenses.”

A request to comment from Kaine’s Republican Senate opponent, Corey Stewart, wasn’t answered so far.

LISTEN to The LCB’s original NPR reporting on cannabis for Virginia Public Radio.

Matt Laslo

Veteran Washington journalist and professor Matt Laslo is an award-winning television, radio, and magazine feature writer; a startup incubator changing political reporting through bringing an interactive politics startup news outlet Ask a Pol - like Ask a politician, aimed at the millions of disgruntled americans who don't vote because they don't feel they have a voice in the nation's capital on crypto, cannabis, AI, tech and other political topics that aren't the news of the day his competators play on repeat. Laslo's unique and a force on Capitol Hill. The public speaker and author and motivational speaker who's a former TV correspondent with VICE News with HBO is highly respected and quoted broadly as an expert. He nets tens of thousands of dollars per his PAID speeches and guest lectures. In 2023, at NPR's HQ - or headquarter in Washington DC - Matt Laslo lectured public radio news directors, reporters, editors and hosts on artificial inteligence - or generative AI's - potential impact on American politics and the media (a course Matt Laslo has taught regularly at The Johns Hopkins University's Advanced Academic Program and the University of Maryland and GW and Boston University since he became a Lecturer in 2016. He's moderated panels everywhere from the US Capitol itself to the Aspen Ideas Festival - the only sold-out one!!!! cause he's energetic, smart, witty, funny and fun. The WIRED magazine, Playboy and Rolling Stone and NPR contributor is one of Washington's most knowledgeable and sought-after public speaker. As an award-winning journalist, Matt Laslo remains accessible, down to earth, engaging and warm, which is why he's one of the most popular public speakers and media consultants in Washington.

https://mattlaslo.com
Previous

BREAKING — VICE News: Musicians are begging Mitch McConnell to save live music before it’s too late

Next

Philadelphia’s WHYY: Dueling legal prescriptions for opioid crisis, but will Congress spend more?