Marijuana Coalition Optimistic for 2015

On Tuesday, January 6, the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana held a news conference, a day before the state legislative session was set to begin. Advocates for marijuana legalization believe that 2015 could be a year of unprecedented progress.

The leader of the coalition, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), announced the coalition’s formation in July 2014. Proponents of criminal justice reform, civil rights protection, medical professionals, and political groups join the MPP in its campaign for marijuana legalization reform. The organization defines its mission as “changing federal law to allow states to determine their own marijuana policies without federal interference, as well as to regulate marijuana like alcohol in all 50 states, D.C., and the five territories.”

Vermont has been taking steps towards greater marijuana legalization since 2004, when it permitted the use of the drug for medicinal purposes. In 2013, the state decriminalized the possession of small amounts of the drug. In 2014, a bill was introduced outlining the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana, but it did not pass.

Instead, a bill approving a study of the costs and benefits of legalization was passed. The RAND corporation, which conducted the study, is expected to reveal the results of its investigation within the next week. However, new legislation is in the works. State Senator David Zuckerman of Chittenden intends to introduce a legalization bill within the first few weeks of the legislative session.

Supporters of legalization cite the failure of prohibition as a policy as a reason for reform. “No matter how you slice it, marijuana prohibition has not been an effective policy for the state of Vermont,” said Matt Simon, the Political Director of the MPP for New England.
Simon instead touts the economic benefits of legalization, stating, “Creating a legal market for marijuana would result in businesses’ being able to make money, hire people, create jobs, increase economic activity in Vermont, and we see it being a win for Vermont businesses.”
The MPP has demonstrated its investment in Vermont by hiring a field director for operations in the state, paying a grassroots outreach director, and contributing thousands of dollars to local and statewide political candidates over the past few years.

Dr. Joseph McSherry, a neurophysiologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center, emphasized the social benefits of legalization. He posited that regulation would make it more difficult for underage people to access the drug. Additionally, he believes the health effects of marijuana are less harmful than those of alcohol.

The opposition effort is spearheaded by the Vermont branch of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Debbie Haskins, the Executive Director, disagrees that legalization would decrease marijuana availability to teenagers. She warns against the negative impacts of marijuana – including drops in IQ, changes in attention span and memory, and higher incidence of anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders.
Haskins does not think economic incentives should outweigh these social risks, saying, “We hope that Vermonters care enough to have this discussion based on science rather than emotion or for money.” Similarly, others worry about the impact of such drug legalization at a time when opiate addiction is a major concern in Vermont.

The public has demonstrated significant, though not overwhelming, support for the legalization of Marijuana. The MPP conducted a poll in May 2014 that reported that 57 percent of Vermonters support regulating marijuana like alcohol. A poll of voters conducted by WCAX last October found that 49 percent of voters supported legalization, while 43 percent opposed it and 8 percent were uncertain.

Vermont politicians have expressed similar ambivalence towards the issue. While Governor Peter Shumlin has stated that he is open to the idea of marijuana legalization, he wants to wait to see how the policy change plays out in Colorado and Washington State.

“I don’t think it’s going to be something of a major priority this year,” says Vermont State Senate Minority Leader Joe Benning. Benning himself supports legalization with the benefits of taxation and regulation, however, not of all of his colleagues are on the same page. “I think people are still waiting to see how it works with the decriminalization, and also with Washington and Colorado, trying to figure out what they’ve done.”

In 2014, Colorado garnered $60 million in revenue from taxes, licenses, and fees relating to medicinal and recreational marijuana. However, the state has had difficulties with diversion, road safety, and a lingering black market.

As the state contends with a $100 million budget deficit, marijuana legalization may take a backseat to other issues in Vermont’s political spotlight.