Indopedia All Things Marijuana
According to court documents, 69-year-old Wallace Godwin was arrested last Friday after telling members of Representative Scott Taylor’s staff that he would bring his gun to an event that the congressman was scheduled to speak at over the weekend.
Godwin allegedly told a member of Taylor’s staff that “Scott is having an event this Saturday. I am going to get my shotgun and do something about this. He then allegedly pointed to two other staff members, stating, “You two are next. ” According to court documents, Godwin has been harassing Taylor and his staff since last year, and has even showed up at the lawmaker’s house to argue with him personally. Police ruled these threats as credible, especially since Godwin has a concealed weapons permit.
The source of Godwin’s anger appears to be Taylor’s support for cannabis decriminalization. Godwin has regularly condemned marijuana via his social media accounts, writing that he is “a natural born conservative,”
Godwin’s stance on marijuana, albeit extreme, is representative of a vocal segment of Virginians who are vehemently opposed to cannabis reform. Early this year, Virginia lawmakers proposed a bill that would decriminalize low-level cannabis possession, reducing a penalty of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail to a maximum $250 civil fine. Regardless, the Old Dominion has made modest progress toward cannabis reform in recent years.
