November , The Honorable Denver Riggerman Virginia's th congressional district Craghead Street, Suite -D Danville, VA Dear Mr. Riggerman, As a former police and correctional officer, and current student at Southside Virginia Community college, I strongly urge you to support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. The war on this particular drug needs to finally meet its demise. Targeting minorities, especially the young adult, useless spending of tax payer’s dollars, and counterproductive law enforcement and criminal sentencing, are some of the few unfortunate consequences stemming from the crackdown on cannabis. Knowing your struggles with the stiff policies and laws on the very distilleries you own and operate, and your fight advocating the new age “Whiskey Rebellion”, it would make absolute sense for you to make your mark on history, by relinquishing the Virginia State Government’s death grip on this medicinal marvel of a plant. There is a mountain of fertile ground bearing facts that weed can sink its roots into. To see exactly what Virginia has done in the last few years in the pursuit of meaningless apprehension and prosecution, I have some facts listed below. In , % of all drug related arrests in Virginia were for possession of marijuana. , arrests were made for possession of marijuana. The Libertarian Cato Institute estimated Million was spent on marijuana enforcement in . % of marijuana possession arrestees were African American. African Americans represent less than % of the total population of Virginia. Half of all arrestees were under the age of Arrests stay on your record for a lifetime and impede their future to gain further education, receive approval for the purchase and renting of homes, and severe hindrance to advance with better employment. The benefits of legalizing cannabis are echoed from every one of the states and District of Columbia that decriminalized it. Colorado alone has generated Billion of revenue in the first year it was lawful to sell and recreationally use. Virginia can especially gain larger revenue for our tobacco farmers who are struggling to sell the once cash crop. Jails are seeing less offenders stepping through their bars, because the significant portion of arrests in Washington was just as our state, the possession of marijuana. We are not alone in Virginia when it pertains to the support of cannabis legalization. Many judges in Virginia courts have announced publicly on record, that they will not convict citizens with any marijuana offences. Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney, Gregory D. Underwood, wrote a letter to the judges and officials of his jurisdiction saying that he will no longer prosecute any more cases that are related to marijuana possession. We are in a new age of a generation that isn’t easily swayed from propaganda and vilifying of a conceivably harmless plant. However, there are stipulations and regulations that need to be implemented if cannabis can be legalized. Age regulations mirroring the twenty-one-year age restriction that are enforced for Alcohol and nicotine products would need to take place. Protecting our young people should be our top priority. Having holds on products and advertising that could lure and exploit youth’s susceptibility would also impede illegal marketing towards our children, and would ease the mind of every parent in Virginia. Containing the potency level of THC that would be sold in dispensaries to 20% or below, would also be a positive step. This would ensure the purest and healthiest batches of herb would be sold, and would keep the greedy and rich lobbyists out of the picture. There is no better time in our state’s history than now to display our progressiveness. Even though you are Republican, and as of the last election making our state’s legislation now democratically the majority, it would be audacious of you to finally lubricate the gears of bipartisanship. My confidence in you, and the hope of millions in your revered commonwealth, would be that you could hear our cries and empathize with our battle to make a remedy a reality. I want to thank you in advance for your consideration and I would encourage your response and feelings towards this moral introspection. Sincerely, Joshua Waters (Address) (City, State, Zip Code) (Phone Number)
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