Marijuana Policy Project

A statewide public opinion poll conducted for WCAX News indicates that a majority of Vermonters would support decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.

The poll was conducted by Research 2000 of Rockville, Maryland. A total of 400 likely voters were interviewed on the telephone a little over a week ago. There's always a chance that a poll can be off the mark, but this one has a 95% chance of coming within five points of the outcome if all voters in the state were polled.

A few students have demonstrated their own preference by lighting up marijuana in public. The Vermont Senate Judiciary committee held a hearing in January that drew over a hundred people. And now the full senate has passed a bill that would take the decision to prosecute the possession of small amounts of pot out of the hands of prosecutors. Defendants would be allowed to choose court diversion instead. Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, who chairs the committee, says the way things are now, some possession cases get prosecuted—others don't.

Sears told WCAX News, "We have fourteen prosecutors who may in this particular crime, small amounts of marijuana, may have one reaction in one county, a different reaction in another. I think all Vermonters deserve the opportunity, if they're caught with a small amount of marijuana, to have a chance to go through diversion."

The question in the WCAX News poll was: Would you favor or oppose the Legislature decriminalizing possession of an ounce or less of marijuana? 55% responded yes, 38% no—and seven percent were not sure.

That leaves a rough split in public opinion, with somewhat more Vermonters in favor of decriminalization.

Steve Silverman of South Burlington said, "No, it doesn't surprise me at all. We've put far too many people in prison for just meager amounts of marijuana, for those recreational drugs—or even dealing drugs. So I think it's a good idea to decriminalize these things."

Michelle Wright of Essex Junction said she's bothered by the notion. "Personally, I wouldn't be in favor of that," she said. "I don't think it's a good idea. Drugs are drugs, you know. And I know that people have various opinion about this. I would not be in favor of that myself."

The marijuana decriminalization bill is now in the House Judiciary committee. Gov. Jim Douglas, R-Vermont, says he doesn't like sending a message to kids that smoking marijuana is OK—when it isn't. But the governor has not explicitly threatened to veto it.