Vermont House Approves Marijuana Decriminalizationselfnews Post Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell and Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn testified in favor of the bill, and Gov. Peter Shumlin has also expressed support for such a proposal. Vermont is another step closer to adopting a more sensible approach to marijuana policy, said Matt Simon, a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project. The support demonstrated by members of the House reflects that of the states top law enforcement officials and the voters. H. 200, introduced by Rep. Christopher Pearson (P-Burlington) with a tripartisan group of 38 co-sponsors, would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine, similar to a traffic ticket. Those under age 21 would be required to undergo substance abuse screening. 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. A majority of Vermont voters agree that nobody should be subject to life-altering criminal penalties simply for using a substance that is objectively less harmful than alcohol, Simon said. I think we can all agree that addressing violent and otherwise serious crimes is a better use of law enforcement officials time and resources than arresting and prosecuting people for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Press source: MPP.org linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 