VirginiaMarijuana or marijuana products; underage possession, consequences, procedures.
What it does
Underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products; consequences; procedures. Reduces the penalties for underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages or marijuana or marijuana products to a written warning for a first violation, a written warning and the provision of informational materials about how to access community services for a second violation, and a write-up and an optional referral for accessing community services for a third or subsequent violation. Under current law, underage consumption, purchase, or possession of alcoholic beverages is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor with a period of license suspension and an option for a deferred dismissal in certain circumstances.
More detail
The current penalties for underage consumption or possession of marijuana or marijuana products is a civil penalty of $25 and an order to enter a substance abuse treatment or education program. The bill also provides that such underage persons are not capable of giving lawful consent to a search and that the unconcealed possession of an alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products shall not constitute probable cause to initiate a search of a person or that person's personal property to determine any further violations of law. The bill specifies that such underage persons shall not be subject to arrest or otherwise detained or taken into custody by a law-enforcement officer and that a law-enforcement officer's body-worn camera system shall be activated during any encounter involving an underage person suspected to be in violation of such provisions. The bill also puts limits on the dissemination and retention of any law-enforcement records related to violations of such provisions.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Feb 17Continued pursuant to House Rule 22 to 2027 in Courts of JusticeLatest
- Feb 17Rereferred to Courts of JusticeMinor
- Feb 17Motion to rerefer to Courts of Justice agreed to
- Feb 16Engrossed by House - floor substitute
- Feb 16Delegate Mehta Floor substitute agreed toMajor
- Feb 16committee substitute rejected
- Feb 16Read second timeMinor
- Feb 16Floor offered Delegate Mehta Substitute
- Feb 16Floor substitute printed 26108054D-H2 (Mehta)
- Feb 13Read first timeMinor
- Feb 11Committee substitute printed 26107614D-H1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 11Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 9-N)Minor
- Feb 9Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N)Major
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 9House subcommittee offered
- Feb 7Assigned HCJ sub: CriminalMinor
- Feb 3Referred from General Laws and referred to Courts of Justice (Voice Vote)Minor
- Jan 22Referred to Committee on General LawsMinor
- Jan 22Presented and ordered printed 26103239DIntroduced