Progress Must Not End With Decriminalization

To the editor,

I’m pleased that legislators have agreed to decriminalize possession of marijuana, but the conversation shouldn’t end here. Marijuana is a much safer substance than alcohol or hard drugs, and that’s one reason legislators should move swiftly to begin regulating-and taxing-this market similarly to the way we regulate alcohol.

As Attorney General William Sorrell explained at public hearings on the decriminalization bill, it would be better if users had a legal way to obtain marijuana rather than continuing to buy it from the illicit market. Sorrell suggested decriminalizing possession of a small number of plants, which would make a lot of sense, but ultimately the best solution is to allow regulated cultivation and sale of marijuana to adults who wish to use it.

This may still be a controversial idea in some circles, but regulating marijuana would have many benefits for Vermont. A regulated approach would not only produce much needed revenue to fund important programs and services, but it would also significantly reduce the profits available to dealers of illegal drugs and reduce the likelihood that marijuana users will be exposed to sellers of more dangerous drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine.

Attitudes on this issue have changed dramatically in recent years, with a recent Pew survey showing 52% support for legalization nationwide. As a former member of the House Corrections Committee, I urge legislators to keep Vermont ahead of the curve on this issue by passing a sensible regulation bill in 2014.

Daryl Pillsbury
254-4285

Comments | 1

  • Daryl, you need to learn & address the larger picture: UN Treaty

    To: Daryl Pillsbury

    United Nations INCB Treaty stops the United States of America from
    legalizing marijuana! USA membership in this Treaty should be
    repealed, otherwise we cannot make marijuana legal.

    The determination of “cannabis” (marijuana) as an illegal drug
    worldwide was made by a United Nations Board. The UN Board
    is comprised of Officials who were appointed and NOT elected.
    This is facist, totalitarian dictatorship!

    This same type of facist, totalitarian dictatorship is carried out by
    the Vermont Board of Medical Practice in determining which drugs
    and how much of any drug a physician can prescribe, and mandating
    that all patients who receive prescription painkillers must be treated
    like common criminals and drug tested for illegal drugs. Some of
    the facist, totalitarian dictators on the Vermont Board of Medical
    Practice are NOT medical doctors.

    NONE of the members of the Vermont Board of Medical Practice were elected
    to office by the registered voters of the State of Vermont – yet they can have you arrested and jailed by their investigator WHO WILL FOLLOW YOU ACROSS STATE LINES TO NEW HAMPSHIRE JUST TO TRY AND PROVE YOU GAVE ONE PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH IBUPROFEN TO SOMEONE (IN LOWER DOSES IBUPROFEN IS A COMMON OVER THE COUNTER DRUG) AND WHEN HE CAN’T PROVE IT, HE WILL FOLLOW YOU FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, AND HE HAS FOLLOWED SOME PEOPLE FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND THE EVIDENCE IS ONLINE AT THE VERMONT BOARD OF MEDICAL PRACTICE UNDER “ACTIONS”; and they can take away your doctor’s license to practice medicine and bankrupt her or him!

    Laws, Rules and Regulations which can deprive you of your Liberty, Health and Property should ONLY be created by ELECTED OFFICIALS! THIS IS WHY GOVERNMENT HAS GROWN LIKE CANCER – I AM THE ONLY PERENNIAL POLITICAL CANDIDATE CONSTANTLY TELLING YOU THAT IT IS A VIOLATION OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION FOR UN-ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE RULES, LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT CAN DRAG YOU INTO COURT!

    Daryl, you need to wake up and smell the roses this spring.
    We are suffering under multiple layers of facist, totalitarian
    dictators, none of whom are elected to office to represent us.
    We are suffering from extreme and unconscionable violations
    of the United States Constitution.

    Wake Up, Daryl Pillsbury! Wake Up, America!

    Drug chiefs, UN agency apply pressure to block marijuana legalization
    http://www.coloradoan.com/viewart/20130305/NEWS11/303050007/Drug-chiefs-U-N-agency-apply-pressure-to-block-marijuana-legalization

    UN Says Marijuana Legalization Violates International Regulations
    http://reason.com/24-7/2013/03/05/un-says-marijuana-legalization

    http://www.incb.org/incb/en/treaty-compliance/index.html

    INCB TREATY

    In discharging its mandate under the
    international drug control treaties, the
    Board maintains an ongoing dialogue
    with Governments through various means,
    such as regular consultations and country
    missions.

    That dialogue has been instrumental
    to the Board’s efforts to assist Governments
    in complying with the provisions of the treaties.
    The Convention Evaluation Section of the
    INCB Secretariat assists the Board in these task.

    In addition, the Section
    publishes the quarterly Newsletter of INCB.

    Over the years, the Board has invoked article 14
    of the 1961 Convention and/or
    article 19 of the 1971 Convention
    with respect to a limited number of States.

    The Board’s objective has been to encourage
    compliance with those Conventions
    when other means have failed.

    In 2000, the Board invoked
    article 14 of the 1961 Convention
    as amended by the 1972 Protocol
    with respect to Afghanistan,
    (in AFGHANISTAN, PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY DRONES)
    in view of the widespread illicit cultivation
    of opium poppy in that country.

    Afghanistan
    (IN AFGHANISTAN, PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY DRONES)
    is CURRENTLY
    the only State
    for which action is being taken pursuant to
    article 14 of the 1961 Convention
    as amended by the 1972 Protocol.

    Article 14 of the 1961 Convention
    (and that Convention as amended by
    the 1972 Protocol) and article 19 of the
    1971 Convention set out measures
    that the Board may take to ensure
    the EXECUTION of the provisions
    of those Conventions.

    Such measures, which consist
    of increasingly SEVERE steps,
    are taken into consideration
    when the Board has reason to believe
    that the aims of the Conventions
    are being seriously endangered
    by the failure of a State to carry
    out their provisions.

    The States
    concerned are not named until
    the Board decides to bring the situation
    to the attention of the parties,
    the Economic and Social Council and the
    Commission on Narcotic Drugs
    (as in the case of Afghanistan).

    Apart from Afghanistan, the States
    concerned have taken sufficient
    remedial measures so that the Board
    was able to terminate action taken
    under those articles vis-à-vis those States.

    The 1961 Convention establishes
    strict controls on the cultivation
    of opium poppy, coca bush,
    CANNABIS plant
    and their products,
    which, in the Convention,
    are described as “narcotic drugs”
    (although cocaine is a stimulant drug
    rather than one that induces sleep).

    Control is exercised over 119 narcotic drugs,
    mainly natural products,
    such as opium and its derivatives,
    morphine, codeine and heroin,
    but also synthetic drugs,
    such as methadone and pethidine,
    as well as
    CANNABIS
    and coca leaf.

    The system of estimates covers all States,
    regardless of
    whether or not
    they are parties
    to the 1961 Convention.
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
    This dire warning of astounding trouble ahead
    for the medical marijuana and marijuana
    legalization movements which we the people
    want to progress forward, is brought to you
    by PERENNIAL POLITICAL candidate,
    Cris Ericson http://indyVT.com

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