Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate gave its initial approval today (16-13) to a billthat would end marijuana prohibition in the state and regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana for adult use. It must approve the measure a second time in order to send it over to the House of Representatives. A second vote is expected sometime this week. S241 would make it legal for adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and establish a tightly controlled system of licensed marijuana cultivation sites, testing facilities, and retail stores. It would also create a study commission to examine issues such as edible marijuana products and home cultivation, which would not be allowed under the bill. It would remain illegal to consume marijuana in public or drive under the influence of marijuana. If approved, rulemaking would begin this summer, but the new law would not take effect until January 2018.
Governor Peter Shumlin issued the following statement shortly after the vote was taken:
“I want to thank the Senate for their courage in voting to end the failed War on Drugs policy of marijuana prohibition. When this debate began a month and a half ago, there were many who said it had no chance of passage in either chamber. Today it passed the Senate. This is a big moment for Vermont that should give Vermonters faith that our democracy still works. I want to thank Senator Jeanette White for starting this important conversation and Senator Dick Sears for his leadership in drafting the bill that passed today. I also want to thank all the committees that thoroughly vetted this proposal to make it stronger. And I want to thank Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell for ensuring this bill received a fair hearing, despite our disagreement on the policy.
“With over 80,000 Vermonters admitting to using marijuana on a monthly basis, it could not be more clear that the current system is broken. I am proud that the Senate took lessons learned from states that have gone before us, asked the right questions, and passed an incredibly thoughtful, common-sense plan that will bring out of the shadows an activity that one in seven Vermonters engage in on a regular basis. The shadows of prohibition have prevented our state from taking rational steps to address marijuana use in our state. This bill will allow us to address those important issues by driving out illegal drug dealers, doing a better job than we currently do of keeping marijuana out of the hands of underage kids, dealing with the drugged drivers who are already driving on our roads, addressing treatment, and educating Vermonters to the harmful effects of consuming marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes.
“Now is the time to move forward with ending the failed policy of prohibition in Vermont. I am proud of the Senate for taking the lead and I look forward to working with the House to get a bill to my desk.”
“Vermonters have been yearning for leadership on this issue, and the Senate is really stepping up and demonstrating it,” said Matt Simon, the Montpelier-based New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “The senators did not arrive at this vote lightly. They engaged in an exceptionally deliberative process, and like most of their constituents, they have arrived at the conclusion that it’s time to end prohibition and regulate marijuana.”
“The folks who want to maintain prohibition are going to pull out all the stops to try to scare legislators into maintaining the status quo,” Simon said. “We hope the senators will not fall for the scare tactics and remain steadfast in their support for a more sensible marijuana policy. They’re not alone in this —there is strong majority support for this type of legislation in Vermont and nationwide.”
A group of more than a dozen local clergy and faith leaders from across Vermont sent a letter to members of the Senate yesterday encouraging them to support S. 241. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell and two former attorneys general, Jerome Diamond and Kimberly Cheney, sent a similar letter to legislators last week.
On Monday, Vermont Public Radio released the results of a poll conducted by the Castleton Polling Institute that found 55% of Vermonters support passing a law to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use. Only 32% said they are opposed.