The Roanoke, Virginia Board of Commissioners has voted unanimously to prohibit cannabis use—both adult-use and medical use—from public housing managed by the city’s Redevelopment and Housing Authority, WFXR reports. Current tenants will have to sign a lease addendum acknowledging the cannabis ban or face eviction if they refuse to sign it.
The policy—which takes effect 30 days following the vote—comes less than a month after portions of the state’s Legislature-approved cannabis law took effect. Individual violations will be treated on an individual basis, the report says. The new rules ban cannabis consumption and possession, which are both legal in Virginia as of July 1.
Mark Loftis, a commercial litigation attorney, told WFXR that there “is a process to determine whether [a] violation is of sufficient seriousness to warrant an eviction” and the new policy is “subject to that same grievance procedure.”
A memo has already been sent to tenants warning them that the board was considering the new policy and a second memo detailing the newly-approved policy will also be provided.
The cannabis law also prompted some colleges in the state to update their code of conduct to ban cannabis use and possession on campus. In June, prior to the law taking effect, Virginia Tech officially banned cannabis use and possession over concerns not making the official change would put the university at risk of violating the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, which could put their federal funding at risk. Off-campus cannabis use and possession is not included in the directive, so students 21-and-older who use or possess cannabis off school property would not be in violation of the new rules.
Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe
End