Editor’s note: This commentary is a joint statement from the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police, Vermont Sheriffs’ Association, Vermont Police Association and Smart Approaches to Marijuana Vermont Chapter regarding the recent marijuana legalization bill.
[M]embers of our organizations are on the frontlines of protecting the public and especially our youth from harm, whether it is on our public highways or in our schools.
It is undisputed that marijuana use by young people under age 25 poses a risk of harm. Marijuana negatively affects developing brains, and its consequences can be serious and may be long lasting. It is also undisputed that impaired drivers due to marijuana can cause death or serious harm to others. Finally, it is also undisputed that marijuana is an addictive drug with health and social consequences to the addict, the addict’s family and our community.
As you know, Colorado recently implemented a regulated marijuana market. The governor of Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper, has repeatedly advised state leaders to take their time and get it right. This is the lesson of Colorado.
In our opinion, the path to legalization should start with the creation of a commission or group tasked with the responsibility of recommending improvements to our highway safety, prevention and treatment, and identifying appropriate benchmarks of improvement before legalization occurs. That group should include those of us in the frontlines of prevention, education, treatment and public safety.
Moving forward, we want to be included in this conversation.
It is important to explain why we recommend strengthening Vermont’s foundation of public safety, prevention, education and treatment before legalization takes effect. The data that underlie our concerns and belief that the foundation need work is as follows:
• An insufficient number of Vermont youth fail to appreciate or accurately perceive the risk of harm from using of marijuana. (Source: VT Department of Health)
• Vermont’s prevention infrastructure and funding has been decimated over the last eight years. For example, there used to be 92 grants issued statewide for services in schools to do prevention and early intervention; this year only 20 grants were awarded.
• Presently, the state of Vermont has zero broad-based messaging, public awareness campaigns or curriculums to address the risk of harm posed by marijuana to Vermont youth.
• More teens in Vermont enter substance abuse treatment programs because of Marijuana than for all other illicit drugs combined. (Source: Vermont Substance Abuse Treatment Information System).
• Substance abuse facilities are closing or losing funding.
• During 2016, cannabis was the most detected drug found in all toxicology. This is the first year that cannabis has been the most detected drug since the program’s inception in 2005. (Source: Vermont Drug Recognition Report 2016)
• In general, major crashes (with a contributing cause of an operator under the influence of cannabis) has been on the rise, from two in 2005 to 31 in 2016. In comparison, major crashes caused by an operator under the influence of any drug or alcohol has been declining, from 105 in 2005 to 54 in 2016. (Source: Governor’s Highway Safety Program)
Beginning in 2014 (six months after decriminalization) through 2016, the number of major crashes related to operators impaired by cannabis ONLY has risen: 21 in 2014, 27 in 2015 and 31 in 2016. During that same period, crashes due to impairment of any kind (i.e. alcohol, drugs) stayed relatively level at 55 in 2014–2015 and 54 in 2016. (Source: Governor’s Highway Safety Program).
• Vermont lacks a roadside detection test for marijuana.
• Vermont lacks full capacity for in-state testing and analysis of toxicology samples for DUIs related to drugs such as marijuana.
Moving forward, we want to be included in this conversation. If we are asked to weigh in on creating a path forward, we will recommend that the following public safety, health, prevention and treatment benchmarks be met before legalization of marijuana:
• Creation, implementation and full funding of school-based prevention and treatment programs with evidenced-based prevention messaging. Every Vermont school should have the ability to offer robust and effective education and prevention programs.
• Funding and expansion of substance abuse facilities to ensure that Vermonters seeking treatment have immediate access to treatment.
• No less that a two-year rise in the percentage of Vermont youth who recognize and understand the risk of harm posed by marijuana. We suggest that at least 90 percent of Vermont’s youth be able to perceive the risk of harm posed by marijuana, but recognize that qualified health experts should weigh in on the efficacy of this percentage.
• Increased public service announcements to educate the driving public about the dangers of driving while impaired due to marijuana or marijuana and alcohol.
• No less than a two-year statistically significant reversal and decline in the number of major crashes due to marijuana-impaired drivers.
• No less than a two-year statistically significant reversal and decline in the number of DUIs related to marijuana.
• 100 percent capacity at DPS for in-house analysis and toxicology testing related to cannabis.
• Adoption of legislation and standards for saliva-based testing that are accepted by the courts.
• Passage of a law reaffirming the DUI standard of impairment as “impaired to the slightest degree” and abandonment of any attempt to quantify nanograms per deciliter as a new standard.
We welcome the opportunity to be included in what is surely one of the most important conversations of the decade, and we hope that the result of our participation Vermont will be on a more responsible path regarding the legalization of marijuana.
