Victory! Vermont Legislature passes bill to authorize medical marijuana dispensaries
With Jim Douglas out and Peter
Shumlin in as governor, we had a chance this year to improve on Vermont’s
medical marijuana law and we took it. With the help of patients and advocates
throughout Vermont, the legislature passed S. 17, a bill that will authorize up
to four medical marijuana dispensaries, meaning patients in Vermont will
finally have a safe, legal way to obtain their medicine.
This was a major victory for MPP. We
funded a two-year lobbying campaign to pass the measure. We started by finding
the best sponsors we could last year, including then Senate President Peter
Shumlin. We then helped elect Shumlin to the governorship to provide guidance from the top. It’s a
good thing, too. Vermont’s U.S. Attorney sent a threatening letter on the very
day the House was to vote on the measure, arguing that dispensaries would still be
illegal under federal law. With another governor, that letter could have killed
the bill.
Many thanks our lobbying team and to
Senator Jeannette White, the bill’s sponsor. Most of all though, thanks to the
patients who, despite debilitating conditions, traveled to Montpelier to
explain to legislators why this law was sorely needed. Finally, thanks to all
of you for your letters, emails, calls, and advocacy and donations on behalf of
the bill. This doesn’t happen without you.
We’ll closely follow the
implementation process and will keep plugging away to continue improving
Vermont’s marijuana laws. To stay up to date on all the latest, including
efforts to pass decriminalization legislation, and to learn how you can help, subscribe
to our free email alerts. Also, if you or someone you know has
been arrested for an ounce or less of marijuana, please email us to see how you
can be of special help in our next campaign.
Non-medical marijuana laws in Vermont
Vermont’s marijuana laws (18
V.S.A. § 4230) are relatively harsh given the state’s relaxed reputation.
Possession of less than two ounces of marijuana is punishable by up to six
months in jail and a fine of up to $500. The good news: first-time offenders
are eligible for deferral of their sentence. The bad news: second time
offenders can be sentenced to two years incarceration and a fine of up to
$2,000.
So, are these harsh penalties working?
According to this excellent summary by Jon Gettman, Ph.D., the arrest rate for marijuana offenses in Vermont
went up over 4% annually from 2003 to 2007 — but rather than reducing marijuana
use, past-month use rates actually went up during this period, from 52,000 to
54,000. This shows, as MPP has known for some time, that marijuana penalties
and enforcement patterns have little to no impact on marijuana use rates. The
state could better protect its citizens by decriminalizing marijuana and
freeing up valuable law enforcement resources to combat violent crimes and
other real threats to public safety. It takes less than a minute to ask your legislators to do just that.
Stay connected
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