The House Judiciary and Government Operations committees hear from the public Thursday evening on marijuana. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
More than 100 people crowded into the well of the House on Thursday evening as lawmakers looked to the public for opinions on marijuana legalization.
The two-hour public hearing topped off several days packed with testimony as several House committees weigh S.241, a bill that would allow recreational use of the drug.
The House Judiciary and Government Operations committees held the hearing, rotating through witnesses who identified themselves as for, against or undecided on the issue.
Nineteen people signed up to testify against the bill, 34 in favor and five undecided.
Many lawmakers on other committees sat in on the hearing as well.
Bruce Richards, a retired high school English teacher, brought in photographs of his great-grandparents. They both worked for the temperance movement, which contributed to the birth of organized crime in America, he said.
“I think it’s time to legalize marijuana,” Richards said. “Take it away from the criminals, give the revenue to you guys to do good things for society.”
Others opposed the bill as a matter of public safety.
James Roy, of the Colchester Police Department, said that based on his experience from decades in law enforcement, he sees real risks to legalization.
He told legislators that cannabis legalization poses a “real and measurable danger” to Vermonters and visitors to Vermont on the roads.
Paul Reis, a Bellows Falls resident, testified in favor of the bill.
“This is not to be disrespectful to any law enforcement officer, but I’ve partied with the best over the years,” Reis said. “I have two friends who went on to be police chiefs, and they smoked marijuana in high school.”
Some speakers urged lawmakers to vote the bill down because of the lack of a provision allowing people to grow marijuana at home.
Amos Newton, of Jamaica, called on the committees to oppose the bill. Newton raised concerns that the proposed policy would create a system that supports large-scale farms but shuts out small-scale, community-based operations.
“This is not a step in the right direction,” Newton said. “This is a step backwards.”
Access to marijuana by young Vermonters is one of the major questions for many lawmakers. Several teenagers came to the hearing to weigh in on the issue themselves.
Hawa Adam and Baklisa Abd i Kadir, sophomores at Burlington High School, performed a poem together opposing the push to legalize.
“At the end of the day, it’s us, it’s the future generation of Vermont” that will be affected most by legalized marijuana, Kadir said after testifying.
Two Montpelier High School students described themselves as undecided on the issue but testified to share their research.
Anders Shenholm and Isabelle Boutin provided data they gathered from surveying fellow students at Montpelier High School.
January Simpson, a freshman in Montpelier, said many of her peers use marijuana. “If you really want to protect us, the youth, I believe legalizing marijuana would be protecting us the most,” Simpson said.
Lance Fournier, who runs a landscaping company, told lawmakers his employees’ job performance improved after he initiated a drug testing policy four years ago. He testified against legalization.
Restaurateur Jonny Adler, owner of the Skinny Pancake, urged support for the bill and pushed for swift action by lawmakers. “Maintaining prohibition is a rush to judgment,” Adler said.
When it comes to keeping marijuana away from young people, Adler said the state could do a better job by increasing education and prevention efforts in the context of a regulated market.
“Separate legalizing and condoning,” he said.
After the testimony, House Judiciary Chair Maxine Grad, D-Moretown, said she found the speakers’ remarks “very helpful.”
She has not made up her mind on whether to support the bill. The committee could take a vote next week, she said.
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