Pot decriminalization gets VA AG support- View of Fairfax criminal lawyer

Pot legalization support from VA AG – Fairfax criminal lawyer

Pot criminalization unnecessarily taxes limited government budgets and civil liberties. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer and civil libertarian, I thank Virginia attorney general Mark Herring for recently stating his support for marijuana decriminalization as follows: “Virginia should decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, address past convictions and start moving toward legal and regulated adult use.”

Virginia criminal lawyer on impact of attorney general’s support for pot legalization

Virginia’s attorney general clearly does not make pot law, which is the province of the legislature to pass and the governor to sign. Nonetheless, Herring’s office handles criminal appeals for the prosecution, so this message from a law enforcement official may carry additional weight with Virginia voters, if not also legislators. The timing of Herring’s marijuana decriminalization message comes just days after Parisa Dehgani-Tafti beat Arlington chief prosecutor Theo Stamos, with Parisa stating that she does not plan to prosecute marijuana prosecutions, and in the wake of the chief prosecutors in Norfolk and Portsmouth declining to prosecute marijuana possession defendants.

Fairfax criminal attorney points out that police and prosecutors have more important priorities than marijuana

Plenty of states have legalized or decriminalized pot for purposes ranging from medicinal  to recreational use. The sky has not fallen there, nor will it fall in Virginia. By decriminalizing marijuana, police, prosecutors, and courts can focus on more pressing law enforcement priorities, while simultaneously alleviating government budgets and heavy court dockets.

Fairfax criminal attorney on police use of marijuana odor as justification to search

When police and prosecutors oppose pot decriminalization and legalization, one should consider the extent to which that opposition stems from not wanting to lose marijuana odor as a justification for searching people and their property, which sometimes finds other contraband in addition to marijuana. Decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana is more important than maintaining such a search excuse.

Legalize marijuana. 

Fairfax criminal lawyer Jonathan L. Katz pursues  your best defense against felony, misdemeanor, DUI, drug and marijuana prosecutions. To discuss your case with Jon Katz, please call his staff at 703-383-1100 to schedule a confidential consultation.