The House Judiciary Committee is considering three drug reform bills, the most supported of which would decriminalize possession of a personal supply of controlled substances.
H. 644 proposes making possession of limited quantities of controlled substances a civil offense warranting a $50 fine. Choosing to be screened for a substance use disorder would waive the fee.
The committee considered what it would mean to treat drug abuse as a matter of public health rather than criminality, especially considering the bill would not inject additional funding to recovery infrastructure.
“Is our health care system up for the challenge of treating this solely as a health care issue?” asked Rep. Martin LaLonde, D-South Burlington.
“Of anywhere in the country that can handle this starting off without additional resources, I think Vermont is probably one of the best candidates,” said Andrew Seaman, the Vermont medical director for Better Life Partners, an addiction treatment organization. He pointed to the hub and spoke program as an example of Vermont’s success in treating substance use disorder.
“We do have a health department that has repeatedly told us in the Legislature that treatment is essentially available on demand,” said Rep. Selene Colburn, P/D-Burlington, though the committee expressed some skepticism to that notion.
The bill’s supporters point to the racial disparity of drug arrests in Vermont as a reason for decriminalization. Black Vermonters are 14 times more likely than white people to face a felony drug charge, according to Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.
Frederique pointed out that with more than 40 sponsors, H.644 is the most supported piece of drug decriminalization legislation in the country.
In 2020, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize drug possession.
H.644 proposes creating a Drug Use Standard Advisory Board composed of experts in harm reduction, substance use disorder, treatment and drug law, as well as three consumer representatives “who have lived experience in drug use and consumption practices.” The board would determine the benchmark personal use supply of each decriminalized drug.
The judiciary committee also is considering two other pieces of legislation — H.309, which would decriminalize psychedelic fungi and cacti, and H.505, which would reduce many felony drug charges to misdemeanors.
All three bills are still in committee awaiting a vote.