Yes! Vermont Senate Advances Marijuana Legalization

[MelissaB]

Vermont Senate Advances Marijuana Legalization

By John Dillon, Associated Press & Peter Hirschfeld • 1 hour ago

On Wednesday afternoon, the Vermont Senate became only the second legislative body in the nation to approve a bill that would legalize the sale and possession of marijuana. But the narrow vote spotlights the controversial nature of the legislation. And proposal still faces staunch opposition in the House.

It wasn't all that long ago that Bennington Sen. Dick Sears was viewed as one of the key stumbling blocks to the legalization proposal.

"If you had told me even three months ago that I'd be voting yes, and actually speaking on the floor and defending this bill, I would have told you you were crazy," Sears said during a more than two-hour floor debate Wednesday.

Over the course of those intervening months, however, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he's come to appreciate the merits of regulating the state's illicit cannabis trade.

"For me the question has always been, does the current system of prohibition work? And are we better off with a tightly regulated seed-to-sale system?" Sears said. "I believe S.241 is a rational approach to the failed policy of today."

More: http://digital.vpr.net/post/vermont-senate-advances-marijuana-legalization#stream/6

[MelissaB]

1. Wait! There is more...

Senate Minority Leader Joe Benning, one of two Republicans to vote in favor of the bill, said Vermont's opiate problem is in fact one the reasons to support the bill. Legislative analysts estimate that the 25-percent excise tax on retail marijuana sales will generate as much as $20 million annually.

[Politicalboi]

2. Bernie needs to let more people know he is PRO MJ

The kiddies I hear love the stuff. And they WILL be the deciding vote this year. The Queen on the other hand still needs more questions and studies. So progressive. NOT!!!!!

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

3. I believe we are supposed to vote on marijuana legalization this November in Maine.

I have no idea how that will go. It probably will be close either way.

[RoccoR5955]

4. Your teabagger governor in Maine

will veto it. That's how it will go.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

5. Well, I don't believe that is in his power.

It is a Maine People's Initiative ballot question. All Mainers get to decide on this one. If it passes, he might try to delay implementation, for sure. I don't think he can veto anything that Mainers voted for on the ballot. If he could, he surely would have done that already.

[Logical]

7. Hillary is against it. That is amazing to me. nt

[RoccoR5955]

9. Hillary is against it because

she takes donations from the Prison-Industrial Complex. If weed was legal, there would be fewer people in prisons, and her keepers/donors would not like that one bit.

[Logical]

10. Good point. nt

[RoccoR5955]

8. No but

He can sure delay it, and come up with a law that the RepubliCONs there can vote on and reject it.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

11. Except the legislature is too divided.

There's enough dems that LePage can't just push through whatever he wants. Dems aren't likely to revoke what the people want. A lot of the repubs wouldn't want to touch that too. Of course he would delay. That's what he does best... pretty much get in the way and delay things.

[Logical]

6. Wow, no election needed. This is a big deal. nt

[B Calm]

12. Vermont is light years ahead of Indiana.

Indiana will probably be the last state to legalize.