West Virginia’s Republican Senate President says legalizing marijuana can help ease the state’s crushing crush of fatal overdoses from fentanyl. He predicts that policy changes will come “sooner rather than later” but not likely in the next legislative session.
“My gut says it might not be this year,” Senate president Craig Blair (R), said at a last-week media event, in West Virginia Public Broadcasting. “But it will happen sooner rather than later because this is one way to fight the problem.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) data shows that West Virginia will have more fatal fentanyl-related overdoses in 2022 per capita than any other state.
The Senate President also mentioned that he often sees West Virginia license plates in marijuana dispensaries while he is visiting other states. According to West Virginia Watch.
Blair, who spoke at the event about the fentanyl issue, also said that there is a “problem in West Virginia” when marijuana (more than 70 percent) that is tested has fentanyl. He supports legislation that would impose the death penalty on people who sell the drug.
Blair’s assertion is not supported by any data. Partnership to End Addiction states that there is “no evidence” that marijuana has been laced with Fentanyl.
House Minority leader Sean Hornbuckle, (D), also spoke about his party’s support of legalization in West Virginia.
He said that a policy change in favor of adult-use marijuana “polls into the 60%” range in terms of support from voters.
He told the attendees, “We can use this tool to help us pay for things.”
In West Virginia, marijuana legalization has progressed slowly despite the fact that past polls found a majority of voters in favor of a policy change.
In 2022 activists tried to place decriminalization on two municipal ballots, but both efforts failed. was also unsuccessful in four cities a year before. Salem voters refused to accept a similar reform in 2019.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) said that in 2021, although he is not a supporter of marijuana legalization , he would still support it if the legislature presented him with a bill.
Blair may be skeptical that West Virginia will legalize marijuana in this session. However, other states, including Florida and Hawaii, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota, could join the ranks as legal cannabis states by 2024.
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The post West Virginia Senate president says marijuana could be legalized to help curb the fentanyl epidemic, “Sooner Than later” first appeared on Marijuana moment.
