The House Human Services Committee passed H.170, which would legalize possession and growing at home of small amounts of marijuana — but would not allow for sales or commercial growing.
“The body and Vermonters want to vote on this,” said Rep. Ann Pugh (D-South Burlington). The full House vote will take place early next week, she said.
While anything is possible, the vote likely comes too late for legalization legislation to make it through both the Vermont House and Senate this year. Legislators are working toward adjourning for the year next Saturday.
The Senate earlier this month passed an entirely different legalization arrangement that would allow for marijuana retail stores and commercial cultivation. Senate leaders expressed concerns that the House version would not curtail the marijuana black market.
House leaders had indicated they were unsure they had the votes to pass any legalization legislation this year. Pugh said she thinks that has changed. “I was told it was time to vote it out,” she said.
Pugh voted against the bill, saying she sees merits to both sides of the debate but feels no urgency for legalization.
Voting for the bill in her committee were Reps. Oliver Olsen (I-Londonderry), Sandy Haas (P-Rochester), Mike Mrowicki (D-Putney), Theresa Wood (D-Waterbury) and Dan Noyes (D-Wolcott).
Those voting against it were Pugh, Reps. Topper McFaun (R-Barre), Marianna Gamache (R-Swanton) and Carl Rosenquist (R-Georgia).
Reps. Brian Keefe (R-Manchester) and Chip Troiano (D-Hardwick) were absent.
The committee also voted 10-0 on Thursday for a medical marijuana bill that gives sufferers of an expanded list of ailments access to Vermont’s existing registry. Those Vermonters can then buy marijuana products at regulated dispensaries. The bill is likely to pass both chambers this year.
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Do the Dems understand how out of touch they appear to be? They won’t put any effort into working with Govorner Scott on the statewide teacher’s healthcare contract to save VTers $26 million a year, but they will bust a nut trying to get a pot bill passed. #VTNEAbuysvotes
The listless legislature. Let’s make progress on sensible drug policy. We need leadership, and for these folks to follow the will of the people. A statewide referendum – if it were allowed – would have settled this years ago. Freedom and unity.
I thank representative Pugh for allowing the VT House to vote, but she claims not to feel any urgency to pass legalization as more and more states and countries that border Vermont have already legalized marijuana? I certainly feel the urgency as a taxpayer watching all that revenue go down the drain. And as a reasonable human being because I don’t want Vermont to become the Florida of the Northeast.
Legalizing marijuana is decades overdue and moreover it is the morally right thing to do. Drunk driving is a serious problem; opiate abuse is a serious problem; tobacco smoking is a serious problem. Legalizing relatively benign marijuana is only a problem in the minds of uninformed or misinformed Vermont legislators.
I respect Ann Pugh for her fair stance on not blocking the bill. I thank Oliver Olsen for his support. This bill when passed will effectively give low income Vermonters and those who do not qualify or cannot afford to buy for medicinal use fair access to cannabis. This bill when passed will also lower the effect that the black market imports have on personal use consumers. This puts money currently being spent spent in the black market, back into the pockets of Vermonters to be spent in the current economy. I hope the Senate acts quickly to pass H.170 this year. This is a good first step to normalizing the use of this non toxic plant. Let’s move forward and overcome the lies told to us by our government for over 75 years.
Will the Legislature actually do anything to curb the drug cartel’s monopoly on marijuana? Somebody will lose money for sure. Are we at a turning point in fighting corruption… or is it going to be business as usual? Vermont, for God’s sake, vote to allow the use of this wonderful herb legal and available to all without supporting the criminals who presently control it for their profit.