Data Shows Decrease In Marijuana Arrests in Virginia In 2019

Arrests for marijuana dropped last year in Virginia compared to 2018, an encouraging development for a state that is a month away from decriminalization taking effect.

Commonwealth law enforcement completed 26,470 arrests in 2019 for pot-related offenses, which NORML noted represented a drop from 28,866 such arrests the year before—a more than eight percent drop. Those arrests accounted for 57 percent of drug-related arrests in Virginia in 2019.

On July 1, Virginia will become the latest state to decriminalize marijuana, after Gov. Ralph Northam in April signed a sweeping criminal justice legislative package. In a statement heralding the bill, Northam said that every “Virginian deserves access to a fair and equitable criminal justice system.” 

“These bills combat mass incarceration, increase support for returning citizens, and ensure that those who have paid their debt to society have a meaningful second chance. I thank the General Assembly for working with us to build a more just and inclusive Commonwealth,” the Democrat, whose term expires at the end of next year, said at the time.