Youngkin’s campaign says he wouldn’t seek to repeal marijuana legalization

GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin’s campaign said Friday he wouldn’t try to repeal legislation that legalized marijuana in Virginia this week.

The comment came on Twitter in response to a tweet by Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe, who wrote that “extreme Republicans are determined to make it illegal again. Yet another example of how Glenn Youngkin and the GOP are out of touch with Virginia.”

“False,” Youngkin’s campaign responded. “Glenn Youngkin will not seek to repeal.”

Youngkin’s communication’s director Matt Wolking said Youngkin doubts the state’s revenue projections from legalization are realistic. But as governor, he said, Youngkin’s priority would be to emphasize ensuring minors do not use or have access to the drug.

On the campaign trail, Youngkin has spoken unfavorably about the drug and the state’s decision to legalize it. “If there was a group of children that were sitting here and I was talking to them about marijuana I would tell them don’t use it,” Youngkin said during a stop in Lynchburg. “I’ve never met anybody who habitually used marijuana and was successful and I would tell all them the same thing.”

Virginia became the first state in the South to legalize marijuana on Thursday, a move that opinion polling suggests has broad public support.

The legislation passed earlier this year garnered no support from GOP lawmakers.