The House Appropriations Committee voted 6-5 in favor of advancing S.54 to the full House, where lawmakers expect to take up the measure Wednesday.
If it passes, it would then head to a conference committee, where House and Senate negotiating teams would seek to reconcile their versions of the bill, which offer different tax structures and competing philosophies on how much local control should be given to municipalities.
The bill would then need to pass the two chambers again before heading to Gov. Phil Scott, who has said he’s open to considering the legislation as long as it contains several key provisions.
The committee proposed language Monday that would seem to meet at least one of Scott’s main goals, carving out 30 percent of future tax revenues for prevention efforts. It would also set aside monies for afterschool programs, an initiative Scott floated during his State of the State address earlier this year.
Supporters of S.54 argue that Vermont’s current approach — allowing people to grow and possess limited amounts of weed without giving them the ability to purchase it — has only strengthened the black market, while preventing the state from taking in much-needed tax revenues.
Pragmatic arguments have won over some Republicans initially opposed to legalization. But other lawmakers, including some Democrats, harbor concerns over health impacts and the potential for more youth usage.
Still, after years of work, cannabis advocates say they are confident the legislation will finally pass the House this time. After Monday’s vote, they once again urged lawmakers to act.
“Vermonters should be proud of their elected officials for heeding the will of voters and advancing this important legislation,” wrote Matt Simon, New England political director at the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. “It’s time for the House to join the Senate in recognizing that prohibition has failed, and that Vermonters are overwhelmingly ready for a more sensible approach to cannabis.”
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Shouldn’t 30% of the tax revenue be used to lower property taxes by funding regular education instead? What are we trying to ‘prevent’ exactly? Legalization causes a drop in youth usage, so I’m not understanding…
They’re making sure small VT hemp farmers have first crack at growing for retail in their fields, right? RIGHT??? Because otherwise they’d be screwing alot of people and ruining VT’s retail pot economy before it can get off the ground.
I really empathize with the feelings behind allowing possession and consumption while banning retail sales; Big Tobacco and Big Ag suck, and will inevitably come to dominate the national cannabis market as legalization moves forward.
But seriously – the reality of the situation is Vermont is growing a black market (which doesn’t only deal in weed, and is more than willing to sell to kids), missing out on a lot of tax revenue, and complicating an already muddy divide between state and federal law with it’s half-baked implementation of legal pot. (All puns intended).
Make retail sales legal, asap.
And, if it’s any solace to small Vermont growers who might get overrun by larger producers: look at the local food market. I don’t see a lot of Aunt Jemima syrup on people’s breakfast tables around here. There’s plenty of room for a boutique cannabis industry; slap a “locally grown” label on that bag and take your cut of the bounty.
They should make retail sales ASAP!
First off: it’s too late for legalizing retail sales and commercial growing ASAP! That ship sailed a year and a half ago. It’s about damned time. We should have asked Bernie to write “the DAMN BILL!” It would have been done long ago. Or Elizabeth Warren, I bet she would have had a plan for that a year and a half ago. Unfortunately we have the Vermont Legislature who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time and a Governor who is 30 years behind on most things (a.k.a a “Progressive Republican”) as opposed to a Typical Republican who is stuck in the 1950’s on almost everything. The only thing most Elected Republicans are advanced in is racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and how to Rape the American People both physically and financially.