
Cannabis supporters testified in front of a crowd of more than 100 people at the Vermont House at a public hearing Mar. 31 on S. 241, which legalizes recreational cannabis use for adults.
In the two-hour meeting, a total of 58 people gave testimony before the House Judiciary and Government Operations committees. Of that number, 19 signed up to testify against the bill, 34 in support and five undecided, according to a VT Digger article.
For some speakers supporting the bill, the goal was showing normal citizens who use marijuana regularly, and who could benefit from more regulation in the market and decriminalization.
"I'm a normal, nonpsychotic guy. I consider myself a law-abiding citizen, but my use of pot over the years has made me an outlaw. Do I like that? No. ... What I would like is the option to purchase pot from a safe, regulated, well-maintained dispensary,” says Bruce Kimball of Essex, according to The Eagle.
Abbie Wirth testified in favor of the bill as a medical user who is allergic to other painkillers, according to WPTZ. But there’s still a stigma attached, she says, which means patients “don’t want to be known as using marijuana even though it’s a legitimate medical purpose.”
Even among those against the bill, some were more against the policy put in place by S. 241 than legalization itself. Amos Newton of Jamaica says the bill shuts out small growers in favor of large-scale farms, according to the VT Digger article.
“This is not a step in the right direction,” he says. “This is a step backwards.”
Legalization means increased risk to children and teens, said Catherine Antley, a Burlington physician, according to The Eagle. She testified that Colorado had seen an 8 percent increase in the number of 12- to 17-year-olds using marijuana in the first year after legalization.
Teenagers were also represented in those opposed to legalization, including Anders Shenholm and Isabelle Bountin, ninth-graders at Montpelier High School. They presented the results of a survey they had conducted among other students, in which 66 percent of 11th-graders admitted to using marijuana at least once, according to the Rutland Herald.
House Judiciary Chair Maxine Grad said the panel could finish its work on the bill next week, according to The Eagle.
S. 241 passed the Vermont Senate 17-12 in February, and ends prohibition for adults over 21, as well as creating market regulations and a 25 percent sales tax for cannabis products.