Montpelier, VT: Marijuana has medical value and is misclassified as a Schedule I prohibited drug under federal law, according to findings by the Vermont Medical Marijuana Task Force and presented before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. The committee was established by the legislature last summer to determine how the General Assembly could implement legal protections for patients who use pot medicinally.
Most Senate Judiciary members appeared supportive of the Task Force’s recommendations. Legislation legalizing the use of medicinal marijuana by qualified patients passed the House last year, but stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee – which endorsed a more moderate bill to establish an affirmative defense for patients who possess up to one ounce of medicinal pot. This year’s proposed legislation is expected to be based, in part, upon the Task Force’s recommendations.
Members of the Task Force also reported that existing statewide medical marijuana laws are functioning “generally without incident,” particularly in states that have enacted regulatory oversight. “States which have allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes do not appear to have experienced any adverse effects on patient care or health care professionals,” authors concluded. “The Committee did not hear of any increased recreational use or problems for law enforcement which had been caused by permitting the medical use of marijuana.” A federal General Accounting Office (GAO) report issued similar conclusions in November.
The Task Force’s findings will now be examined by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, which heard testimony from the legislative panel today.
For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup or Paul Armentano of NORML at (202) 483-5500.