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sailingaway
05-13-2013, 10:42 AM
The Vermont House approved Senate changes to a marijuana decriminailzation bill this morning. The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin. According to a Marijuana Policy Project press release, Shumlin will likely sign it "in the coming weeks."

The whole process took a little over two months. Vermont's marijuana decriminalization bills--H.200 in the House and S.48 in the Senate--were introduced the first week of February. The Vermont House first approved the bill on April 16, the Senate approved it and returned it to the House last week. Today the House approved changes to the bill. Now it goes to Shumlin.

Here's what the legislation does, per MPP:

"[The bill] will 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...."

more: http://reason.com/blog/2013/05/13/vermonts-legislature-just-voted-to-decri

surf
05-13-2013, 11:02 AM
better than nothing

FSP-Rebel
05-13-2013, 11:21 AM
That's a rather weak bill to come out of a progressive-dominated legislature.

better-dead-than-fed
05-13-2013, 11:22 AM
From which part of the constitution does the Federal government claim its authority to proscribe weed? Commerce Clause?

69360
05-13-2013, 11:28 AM
There is something pending here in Maine too. It's been on the TV new pretty regularly.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/03/news/state/sponsor-of-bill-says-maine-will-legalize-marijuana-one-way-or-another/?ref=relatedBox

Keith and stuff
05-13-2013, 12:05 PM
Excellent, that means, soon, all 3 states bordering New Hampshire will have decriminalized marijuana. The certainly makes NH a more enticing state for many of the folks considering joining the Free State Project and moving to NH. After all, almost everyone in NH is within 45 minutes of the border.

I'm thankful to the free stater that helped pass this bill. He believes the governor will sign it!

Keith and stuff
05-13-2013, 12:06 PM
There is something pending here in Maine too. It's been on the TV new pretty regularly.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/03/news/state/sponsor-of-bill-says-maine-will-legalize-marijuana-one-way-or-another/?ref=relatedBox

Good. Maine decriminalized in the 1970s but that law is really outdated and could be improved. Again, the better the drug laws are in ME, the better it is for the FSP when it comes to recruiting. After all, 3 of the largest communities in NH are on the ME/NH border.

WhistlinDave
05-13-2013, 12:14 PM
That's a rather weak bill to come out of a progressive-dominated legislature.

It's almost identical to what we have here in California. Up to an ounce, simple possession gets you a $100. ticket. It's an infraction (just like a traffic ticket) so there's no jail time, no court appearance, no criminal record, no nothing. (Unless you're caught with it too close to a school, I think.) Not perfect, but still a lot better than what we had before.


From which part of the constitution does the Federal government claim its authority to proscribe weed? Commerce Clause?

I think the BS justification for the Controlled Substances Act at the Federal level are both the General Welfare clause and the Commerce clause.

Dr.3D
05-13-2013, 12:23 PM
So that's about as much "decriminalization" as not sending someone to jail for running a red light. It's still a crime to run the red light, but you don't have such a stiff penalty. How about really decriminalizing Marijuana and making there be no penalty for anything concerning it?

Keith and stuff
05-13-2013, 12:35 PM
So that's about as much "decriminalization" as not sending someone to jail for running a red light. It's still a crime to run the red light, but you don't have such a stiff penalty. How about really decriminalizing Marijuana and making there be no penalty for anything concerning it?
MA has 1 of the best marijuana decriminalization laws in the US, but even it isn't AT ALL perfect. The ME law is much worse than the likely new VT law but still much better than most states.

I'm OK with incrementalism as long as it is in a positive direction. This law will put VT in the 10 ten least bad category for this issue. I don't understand the whining.

pcosmar
05-13-2013, 12:38 PM
From which part of the constitution does the Federal government claim its authority to proscribe weed? Commerce Clause?
The same one they have used for growing wheat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn

better-dead-than-fed
05-13-2013, 12:49 PM
The same one they have used for growing wheat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn

Thanks. The Wikipedia article leads to Gonzales v. Raich, 545 US 1 - Supreme Court 2005 (http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=15647611274064109718) (weed), which refers back to Wickard v. Filburn, 317 US 111 - Supreme Court 1942 (http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17396018701671434685) (wheat).

WhistlinDave
05-14-2013, 12:14 AM
The same one they have used for growing wheat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn

Ah, thank you. So it is just the Commerce Clause apparently, not Gen'l Welfare.

ClydeCoulter
05-14-2013, 12:37 AM
Lesser of many evils.
Are they going to let some nonviolent prisoners go? I hope so.

Mani
05-14-2013, 09:44 AM
It's a step in the right direction and can only help the movement. Hope it continues a change of attitude across the nation and state by state continue to decriminalize or make it legal.