Vermont Senate to debate marijuana legalization

But the inclusion of the large number of amendments has left Phillips-Hill undecided on how she’ll vote on the bill. If passed by the House, Governor Peter Shumlin will sign the bill.

Sen. Richard Sears (D-Bennington) speaks Wednesday on the Senate floor about legalizing marijuana.

The measure would allow possession of up to an ounce, with licensed growers supplying retail marijuana outlets.

Others argued that the public is already well acquainted with marijuana, citing a recent Rand Corp. study that found that more than 80,000 of the state’s residents had used marijuana within the previous month of the survey.

“We still remain what I call ‘locked to the dark days of prohibition, ‘” Patrick Nightingale of the Pennsylvania Medical Cannabis Society said. If approved, rulemaking would begin this summer, but the new law would not take effect until January 2018.

The no-homegrown provision drew criticism from some senators, and prompted at least one to vote against it. Sen. “That is one reason I can appreciate the discussion around ending the prohibition of marijuana”, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott said. If the bill makes it to the governor’s desk, Vermont will be the first USA state to legalize the drug without a referendum. As a second-year medical student and future pediatrician, I am deeply concerned about this issue. “As I have said for years, I support the legalization of medical marijuana and I believe it is long past time to provide this important medical relief to patients and families across the commonwealth”.

“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. “We are hopeful that the Senate will approve this commonsense legislation and send it over to the House for its consideration”.

Share with Us – We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism. “Marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol to the consumer and to society”.

Still, several lawmakers said they fear the proposal could lead to drug additions or increased legalized recreational use. “They did not start out on heroin”, he said.