September 13, 2021
The Honorable Governor Ralph Northam
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218
804-786-2211
Commonwealth of Virginia – Contact the Governor’s Office
Dear Governor Northam:
Virginia Marijuana Justice volunteers would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your important work with reforming laws that, for years, have hurt cannabis consumers and have torn families apart for a victimless and non-violent act. We feel that your office has heard our message on many aspects of this law. We do, of course, want to see the law go into full effect and for the entire community to benefit from your work. It is a significant part of your legacy as governor.
Cannabis has been legalized for home cultivation and possession in Virginia, and a clemency provision was written into the law to allow the release of nonviolent cannabis “offenders.” However, many good people of Virginia remain incarcerated. It’s time to release non-violent cannabis prisoners from the shackles of the failed and malevolent War on Drugs. We must do the same for anyone that has been sent back to prison for simply testing positive for cannabis on a drug test.
As you know, minorities are disproportionately targeted by the propaganda-driven War of Drugs. Now is the time to release them from jail. Thousands of Virginians all around the state will celebrate to be reunited with men and women that are husbands and wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers and friends. Often, veterans use cannabis to deal with the post traumatic stress when they return home. Twenty two veterans each day commit suicide from the stress. Please release them all and allow them to heal.
We’d like to know about your plan to move forward on granting clemency to all people incarcerated for cannabis From probation violations for drug tests to possession, cultivation, and distribution of cannabis, we want our friends released to go home to their families. We do not want our taxpayer dollars keeping non-violent citizens incarcerated for cannabis. We hope we have your continued support on these important criminal justice reforms.
Solidarity,
Virginia Marijuana Justice VAMJ