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Homegrown Marijuana Provision Remains in Legalization Legislation

Lawmakers in Richmond are debating a bill that would legalize marijuana, and not just at the neighborhood store.

Each household would be able to have four marijuana plants, two mature plants and two immature plants, under a bill now being considered by the Virginia Senate.  

 

Senator Scott Surovell is a Democrat from Fairfax County. 

 

"This should be viewed the same as alcohol in terms of you can homebrew alcohol you can make your own wine like my grandfather did back in Franklin County," he explains. "There's consequences for selling alcohol if you make it at home and don't tax it, and I view it more akin to that." 

 

Senator Ryan McDougle is a Republican from Hanover County who says homegrown pot is a bad idea for Virginia. 

 

“It's no problem if you have it outside on your farm," McDougle says. "But if you live in an apartment complex that has a thousand other people in it, it creates lots of safety issues, there's lots of issues about possession, enforcement, regulatory. We have time to get that done before this would be legalized." 

 

McDougle tried to strip the bill of the provision that allows homegrown marijuana, but he was unsuccessful. The bill legalizing marijuana in Virginia has now passed one Senate committee, but it still has to be considered by two more committees before it gets to the Senate floor.

 

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.
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