HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Growing marijuana in Virginia will soon be allowed, and supporters of the movement are eager to learn more about the new rules.
After moving to Virginia from Michigan, Rey Bigg and his wife were happy to hear the marijuana laws were changing. They started a Facebook page called Virginia Marijuana Growers Forum.
"As a way to connect with like-minded people and people who are looking to get into growing themselves," said Bigg. "We’ve been seeing exponential growth, and just last week we had 1,800 new member requests, and that’s in a seven-day span."
Starting on July 1, in Virginia, adults 21 years and older will be able to possess 1 oz. of cannabis and be able to cultivate four plants for personal use per household.
They will also be able to share in private with other adults 21 years and older up to 1 oz. of cannabis.
"It’s so new for everybody. There’s a lot of questions. There’s a lot of uncertainty," said Bigg.
"We receive emails every day, phone calls, and every Thursday at 4 p.m. we answer live questions on Facebook," said Jenn Michelle Pedini, the Development Director of Virginia NORML.
Virginia NORML has been working for years to reform the marijuana laws, and they were a major part of the changes that were passed into law.
Pedini said the change to the law is a step in the right direction, but there is still more work to be done.
"We’re really focused on the remainder of the bill, a lot of which is related to retail sales and regulations of cannabis for adult use," said Pedini.
Click here for questions and answers provided by Virginia NORML.
Pedini said Virginia NORML is also holding an event in Virginia Beach on June 22 to provide the public with a place to get answers. The event is called Know Your Rights and will be held at 757 Gather - 249 Central Park Ave. Suite 300 in Virginia Bach.
The discussion will involve Pedini and Portsmouth Commonwealth Attorney Stephanie Morales.
They said doors open at 6 p.m. and the discussion begins at 6:30 p.m. Capacity is limited. Those interested are strongly encouraged to RSVP; you can do sohere.
