Editor’s note: This commentary is by Rob Williams, of Waitsfied, who is a steering committee member of the Vermont Cannabis Collaborative.
[T]he Vermont Cannabis Collaborative (VTCC) respectfully challenges Debby Haskins’ simplistic and misleading arguments against cannabis legalization in her VTDigger commentary “Legalizing Pot Will Not Be A Revenue Windfall.” No one in Vermont is claiming that legalizing cannabis would promote a “revenue windfall” — this is pure hyperbole, and a misrepresentation of our position.
What proponents of cannabis legalization ARE saying is the following: Most Vermonters agree that the decades-long federal prohibition of cannabis is a failure. Most Vermonters agree that incarcerating our fellow citizens for non-violent cannabis possession is unjust. Most Vermonters agree that it makes logical sense to work together to transform an already-existing $250 million illicit underground cannabis economy that profits only a few Vermont “criminals” (many of whom are our neighbors and colleagues) into a legal, regulated and taxed industry that will provide new “agri’preneurial” options for our farmers, new jobs in a variety of ancillary industries for our Vermont neighbors, new tourist options for the millions of visitors to Vermont every year from Canada and surrounding states, and yes, much-needed tax revenue that can be re-invested in education, prevention, treatment and other social programs.
We urge all Vermonters to download and read our VTCC recommendations, and talk with family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues about cannabis legalization in a mature, thoughtful, and forward-thinking way.
How do we know this? The Vermont Cannabis Collaborative has spent this past year in active conversation with Vermonters all over the state re: the opportunities and concerns surrounding legalization. Building on the good work provided by the state of Vermont-commissioned RAND report, VTCC has researched a wide variety of options for legalization, in active dialogue with experts from Colorado, Washington and other places who have already legalized cannabis, to learn from their experiences. We have gathered together our best thinking and recommendations in our newly published report entitled “What Cannabis Can Do For Vermont,” available for free download at our website – www.vtcannabiscollaborative.org.
All of us Vermonters involved with VTCC, business people, educators, public health advocates, parents and citizens alike, are firmly convinced that a thoughtful three-pronged approach to cannabis legalization in Vermont — legislation, regulation, collaboration – in conjunction with our Vermont values, makes good sense for Vermont moving forward. We urge all Vermonters to download and read our VTCC recommendations, and talk with family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues about cannabis legalization in a mature, thoughtful, and forward-thinking way.
Finally, in light of Ms. Haskins’ recent commentary, we urge all Vermonters to be sure we listen to one another clearly, and represent each other’s positions accurately.
