CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.(NEWSPLEX) -- Dozens of cannabis supporters flooded the Charlottesville downtown mall to rally in favor of legalizing marijuana in Virginia.

A recent change to federal law allowed states to grow test plots of hemp only at university or government sites and Virginia is one 28 that are doing so.

A recent change to federal law allowed states to grow test plots of hemp only at university or government sites and Virginia is one 28 that are doing so.

Hemp was once a mainstay crop in Virginia, until it ended up being banished as part of the long U.S. war on drugs starting in the 1930s.

RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) -- The Manufacturing of Industrial Hemp for commercial purposes was approved according to Virginia's Legislation Information System.

RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) -- The Manufacturing of Industrial Hemp for commercial purposes was approved according to Virginia's Legislation Information System.

In a switch, one of Virginia’s most powerful elected officials said Tuesday that he supports studying the decriminalization of marijuana.

In a switch, one of Virginia’s most powerful elected officials said Tuesday that he supports studying the decriminalization of marijuana.

RICHMOND – Virginia probably will ease up a bit in its laws against marijuana by making it easier for epilepsy patients to obtain cannabis extract oils and by relaxing the penalty for people caught with small amounts of marijuana.

RICHMOND – Virginia probably will ease up a bit in its laws against marijuana by making it easier for epilepsy patients to obtain cannabis extract oils and by relaxing the penalty for people caught with small amounts of marijuana.

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia won’t be pulling a Colorado by decriminalizing marijuana this year. But the state might relax its penalties for possessing marijuana and its rules on who can use marijuana products for medical reasons.

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia won’t be pulling a Colorado by decriminalizing marijuana this year. But the state might relax its penalties for possessing marijuana and its rules on who can use marijuana products for medical reasons.

Over a year after the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill allowing certain institutions to grow hemp, seeds finally went into the ground this summer at Virginia Tech.

Over a year after the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill allowing certain institutions to grow hemp, seeds finally went into the ground this summer at Virginia Tech.

When his city was hit with a rash of homicides and violent gun crimes in 2012, Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell said he took a hard look at the kinds of cases his office was working.

When his city was hit with a rash of homicides and violent gun crimes in 2012, Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell said he took a hard look at the kinds of cases his office was working.