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PORTSMOUTH, Va. — <\/span>Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas has carved out a reputation as a fierce and outspoken advocate during her political career. One issue, in particular, has been at the forefront of her agenda: legalization of marijuana, which she says disproportionately affects members of the African American community.<\/p>\n She felt so strongly about the issue, she sponsored a legalization bill and opened her own cannabis shop. Now, she’s under the microscope as federal law enforcement appears to have raided that business. It wasn’t immediately clear what they were looking for but it’s drawn attention to Lucas and her 34-year career in politics.<\/p>\n In 2019, she became the state\u2019s first Black woman to hold the leadership post of Senate president pro tempore after Democrats seized the majority.<\/p>\n The next year, she appeared at a protest of a Confederate monument that led to felony charges<\/a> against her. A judge later dismissed the charges.<\/p>\n Lucas was born in Portsmouth and worked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard earlier in her life, where she was the first female ship fitter, according to a biography in the state library.<\/p>\n She has been the CEO of a Portsmouth business that runs residences, day programs and transportation for intellectually disabled adults. And in 2021, Lucas opened a store in her hometown of Portsmouth, The Cannabis Outlet, that sells legal hemp and CBD products.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s talk about pot,\u201d Lucas said in a social media post on X in 2022. \u201cYes, we legalized it and I even opened the Cannabis Outlet after we did! But the job isn\u2019t done. People are still in jail for something that is legal today.\u201d<\/p>\n