It maybe seen as progressive but such a move to take the ‘draconian’ out of absurd, will still leave absurd. $500 for being in possession of a non-criminogenic substance may well be a more sensible policy than mandatory sentencing to jail, but simple possession has no correlate to harm to the individual or society. Cannabis in whatever form and quantity is a poor proxy for the dangerousness of the offender or any conduct pattern associated with 99% of possession.

The requirement to delineate supply quantities from simple possession is erroneous with a ‘seasonal’ plant. The kinder gentler approach is still an impediment to credible health promotion while still facilitating (encouraging) a black-market, albeit at a lower level. Police retain control over who enters the criminal gateway.

Virginia may well benefit from looking at New Zealand’s Regulated ‘restricted substances’ model that in-effect resolves the disparity of enforcement, attenuates deviency, places control in the hands of public health professionals and at the same time disenfranchises the ‘criminal’ networks where the “are you over the legal age of consent?” answer is “Got $20.00″