Editor’s note: This commentary is by Timothy Bryon Fair, who is founder of Vermont Cannabis Solutions.
[I]n a recent commentary, appearing on VTDigger, it was suggested that Vermont would benefit by maintaining the current status quo regarding the legalization of cannabis. The author’s main argument was that by not instituting a taxed and regulated system, Vermont would be able to avoid the inevitable “commercialization” of the industry. Now, don’t get me wrong, on a certain level I agree with the author’s distaste for overregulation and the threat of corporate control of the industry we all love, but, and it’s a big but, that is only one aspect of a much bigger picture. While it is true that an unregulated, non-commercialized cannabis industry holds a great deal of appeal, there are a lot more factors that need to be considered.
One of the greatest challenges facing our nascent industry is the ongoing stigma associated with cannabis. For 70 years, this country has been inundated with misleading and false information surrounding the cannabis plant. It has been demonized, made out to be a public health menace, and the adults who choose to consume have been labeled criminals. This is a huge hurdle to overcome as we move into the realm of legitimacy. Without rules, it is difficult to play a game, and by the same logic, without clearly defined regulations a majority of the population will simply return to their default position that cannabis is dangerous and that our industry is nothing more than a bunch of “stoners” trying to make money at the expense of the health and wellbeing of the general public. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Commonsense regulation provides many of the aspects of day-to-day life that we all take for granted: consumer protection, industry standardization, quality control, and public safety, just to name a few. Without a regulated market, none of these will exist. There will be no labeling standards so that consumers can be sure of what they are buying, there will be no recourse for consumers who purchase a sub-par or defective product (think moldy weed), there will be no mechanism for distribution, no guidelines for manufacturing edibles or infused products, no regulations regarding extraction. Each and every individual involved in our industry will take it upon themselves to set their own rules and guidelines, some successfully, other not so much. While to some this may sound like a great idea, the reality is that it would cause confusion at best, chaos at worst. These are the last things we need as we try to convince the prohibitionists that we are a legitimate industry.
Furthermore, by having zero regulations to abide by, Big Business will only be more likely to set up shop in Vermont, with the mindset that without regulations they can simply go ahead and do whatever they want, public good be damned. Much easier to make huge profits when you have no regulations to follow and no consumer protection laws to be concerned about. Without commonsense and rational regulation, it is the citizens of our state who will be hurt the most, unable to reap the multitude of benefits that come with a well thought-out and implemented taxed and regulated cannabis market.
