Hearings on Bills to Decriminalize Marijuana in Vermont

Hearings on bills to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Vermont will be held by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, April 3 and the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, April 4. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn, and Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan are scheduled to testify in support of the bill at the House hearing. Flynn and Donovan are also scheduled to testify in support of the bill at the Senate hearing.

H. 200, introduced by Rep. Christopher Pearson (P-Burlington) with a tripartisan group of 38 co-sponsors, and S. 48, introduced by Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) with a tripartisan group of eight co-sponsors, would remove criminal penalties for possession of limited amounts of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine of up to $100, similar to a traffic ticket. Those under age 21 would be required to perform community service and to attend a drug awareness and safety program. Under current state law, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail for a first offense and up to two years in jail for a subsequent offense.

“This legislation enjoys exceptionally broad support because it just makes sense,” said Matt Simon, a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project. “There is absolutely no compelling reason to subject people to criminal records and jail time simply for possessing a substance that is objectively less harmful than alcohol.”

Article republished from Marijuana Policy Project