2017 General Assembly Recap
Community Coalitions of Virginia closely followed twenty-three heroin and opioid bills during the 2017 General Assembly, which adjourned February 25, 2017. Many bills passed, including proper disposal of prescriptions and limits on prescribing opioids, expansion of public access to naloxone, and the banning of 19 additional synthetic opioids. All of these are positive outcomes for the opioid and heroin epidemic.
This year 16 marijuana bills were introduced but Virginia was able to defeat many bills that would have been harmful to our state. Decriminalization of marijuana did not pass for the third year. Legislators did not expand an affirmative defense for marijuana oils to any additional medical conditions, outside of intractable epilepsy, which was passed into law two years ago. Two marijuana bills did pass, including a bill allowing the manufacture, processing and dispensing of CBD-THC-A oils for intractable epilepsy patients only. Another bill passed removing forfeiture of driver’s licenses for adults for possession of marijuana.
Thank you to the Fraternal Order of Police and all our partners who worked hard to protect the health and safety of Virginians!
