Opposed any Bill that allows citizens to smoke weed, cannabis, marijuana. Shameful policies by government officials who don’t care about people. https://www.foxnews.com/health/daily-weed-smokers-higher-risk-heart-attack-stroke-american-heart-association-study

OPPOSE: PLEASE GO TO PAGE 9 AND READ THE LAST COMMENT. PLEASE GO TO PAGE 27 AND READ THE THIRD COMMENT. LINK: Please go to https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/henrico/Board.nsf/Public https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/henrico/Board.nsf/files/D3CJHX4D404E/$file/Written%20Comments%203-14-24.pdf

Opposing bills will marijuana and cannabis Why do Democrats want to hurts people? https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2024/03/11/florida-marijuana-recreational-desantis-weed-smell-november-ballot/72928310007/ https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/03/13/new-orleans-police-rats-high-marijuana/

OPPOSE THE BILLS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MARIJUANA USE-RECREATIONAL USE. WHY ARE DEMOCRATS PROGRESSIVES AND SOME REPUBLICANS WANTING TO DESTROY VIRGINIA? Oregon switches up on drug leniency amid overdose surge: The ‘experiment’ is over: https://youtu.be/FN1DSR4vRgI?si=xeuBM_MpxmyDbCJx

AGAINST THE BILL! Do you want your own family member high on marijuana? I guess not. Do you want to smell marijuana in your Sunday’s best when your neighbor is smoking marijuana? Do you want your air vents to be smelling like cigarettes and marijuana? Do you want to pick up your clothes at the cleaners, but next door there’s a marijuana store? Do you want more car accidents? Do you want a higher water bill for Virginians? Do you want our young students coming to school wrecking all of marijuana because their parents were smoking it at home? It’s secondhand marijuana smoke that is dangerous too. It’s exactly what you are doing by passing an insane bill. It will result in disaster for Virginians across our state. Why do you want to put our lives and our children’s lives in jeopardy? You all must be greedy for money and as usual Democrats always lower expectations and standards, but raise taxes. God help us. https://aalm.info/

Our collective of 150+ Drug War Veterans who have been arrested in Virginia for non-violent cannabis offenses, wish to see SOME support given to those who served time. Any legislation that doesn’t include support for veterans of the Drug War and prioritizes past non-violent offenders is not going to set the table for a sux retail market. States like California and Colorado are proof of that… there is no Equity without the Legacy Market Recognition and involvement. The people that have grown this plant for years, or decades are the most import voices in this conversation, Yet they are treated as the Black Sheep and MSOs Lawyers have a direct dialogue with legislators… This is proof that they already have a head start in the market place. So we support this over the house bill. With one change. A 25,000 cap on licensing fees… with a 1Million premium per license for multiple licenses award to the same company over 2 and require that money to go for the “small business development fund” to offset fees for SPECIFIC victims of the drug war AND MILITARY Vets with no violence history. This is the only “compromise” we can see available

Strongly OPPOSE THE BILL! It is pathetic when rapper Killer Mike states Blacks have the marijuana and the Native Americans have the casinos. Have you not heard or cared about the destruction of states like Oregon, Colorado, California, and Illinois when it comes to marijuana use? There are too many environmental negatives and what’s worse is the impact it will cause on our society. It will only get more dangerous. Progressive politicians are not helping our nation with legislation like this in society. God help Virginians who are law abiding citizens because they are punished and criminals are awarded.

My name is Ryan Suit and I am an attorney and hemp grower and processor in Virginia Beach. I echo the statements of the Virginia Cannabis Association and urge this subcommittee to pass SB448.

My name is Eric Spencer, and I am a first-time nonviolent felony offender that served over 13 years of a 22-year federal sentence for marijuana and other nonviolent offenses alongside men from areas such as Richmond and Portsmouth. I am also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. I have not reoffended, and I have been paying my fair share of taxes since my release from federal prison in November of 2011. I wanted to share a few of my thoughts on SB448 and its lack of equity provisions. Oftentimes, the voices of those directly impacted by the War on Drugs are not heard. SB 448 was drafted under the guise that everyone should start at the same time without any special treatment for one particular group over the other. However, current medical marijuana companies have been operating for many years, so the reasoning behind everyone starting at the same time cannot be substantiated. Perhaps SB 448’s intent is to prevent “first mover status” for the current medical marijuana companies. If this is the case, first mover status and lack of equity provisions are not synonymous with one another. Many new states that created a social equity program have been very intentional about ensuring that those individuals (and not simply communities) directly impacted by the War on Drugs are prioritized. Minnesota and New Jersey present compelling programs relating to the equity of individuals with felony cannabis convictions and not simply misdemeanors. Both States recognized that many individuals in black and brown communities were intentionally charged and convicted of felonies in State and Federal Courts to ensure a harsher punishment. Both States provided an avenue for those with state and federal felony convictions for cannabis convictions to receive equity status too. SB 448 does nothing of the sort. Maryland is not a good barometer for equity because its cannabis law does not even recognize individuals with cannabis convictions in jurisdictions like Baltimore City in its equity definition. HB 698 of this General Assembly attempts to acknowledge these individuals but falls short in its limitation to misdemeanor Virginia convictions. Virginia like many other states during the height of the War on Drugs intentionally charged and convicted individuals from black and brown communities with felony convictions in both state and federal courts to ensure harsher punishment. it was common practice to dismiss a potential misdemeanor cannabis conviction to open the door for felony charges. Also, a Maryland Court has ruled that Maryland's cannabis program is a monopoly based on its limited license structure and other findings that HB 698 seemingly adopts. While the challenge was from hemp producers, the Maryland Court pointed out more troubling factors. See Maryland Coalition Inc et al v. Wes Moore, Case No. CASE NO. C-21-CV-23-348. I would recommend the following: meaningful equity provisions incorporated into SB 448 relating to individuals with state and federal felony convictions for cannabis akin to MN and NJ as opposed to the limited equity provisions in HB698; no new crimes created for cannabis infractions; no licensing caps (to prevent monopolies); rolling applications like NJ to be implemented with no lotteries; grants for cannabis businesses; automatic expungement for men and women with prior cannabis convictions; and first mover status for equity licensees Thanks, Eric Spencer

Please allow home grown outdoor in this bill. The lobbyist are trying to ruin for all the little mom and pop shops in Virginia. It’s so greedy and needs less regulation and less restrictions.

I strongly support this bill over HB698 , which would be detrimental to every Virginia Farmer and their family. Virginia has an opportunity to support local farmers and expel monopolist corporations. Virginia has the opportunity to grab the biggest share of the cannabis market throughout the entire United States due to its great soil and well equipped farmers. The sun is not evil , big corporations and politicians are. Rouse's bill is much more supportive of small Virginia owned businesses. It supports Virginia's farmers and small businesses vs HB698 that favors big business and out of state corporations. Let Virginians keep the market they built.

This bill needs to be passed in support of the small farmer, outdoor growers and craft market which deserves to exist in the commercial framework. Thank you

I am in favor of supporting SB448 I think this is exactly what virginia needs. And it will help its people dearly

I stand with the people of virginia in favor of house bill SB448 and say that the people have a right and means to create and help develop a safe community for those who wish to consume cannabis for personal use. The American people should also have a right to continue to grow at home and consume any products in peace. Small business infrastructure is important and allows for better care when dealing with the plant

Please Support this bill over HB698. Rouse's bill is much more supportive of small Virginia owned businesses. It supports Virginia's farmers and small businesses vs HB698 that favors big business and out of state corporations. Let Virginians keep the market they built!