On July 1, a law decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of marijuana took effect in Virginia. Now, a state lawmaker said she plans to introduce a bill, which, if passed, would go a step further.

“If we can decriminalize, we can legalize,” said Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, a Democrat representing parts of Prince William and Stafford counties.

Carroll Foy, who has introduced similar bills in the past, plans to carry the bill in the special session if approved by the Speaker of the House.

The American Civil Liberties Union in a 2020 report found that while Black and white Americans use marijuana at similar rates, African Americans are 3.65 times more likely to be arrested for possessing the drug.

The racial disparities that exist when it comes to enforcement of possession laws, according to Carroll Foy, is why she is championing the push to make simple possession legal.

“This is what we need, and this is what we want, and I want to take another step forward and start making reinvestments in communities that have been most harmed by the failed war on drugs,” Carroll Foy said.

She said the bill would make it legal to possess less than a half an ounce of pot.

Several organizations in the state have raised concerns about legalizing marijuana, including the…