I agree with Senator Jeanette White that marijuana “prohibition has not worked.” She says marijuana “is illegal now, and it will remain so - it will not become more illegal.”
But with the bill Senator White supports, a Vermonter not lucky enough to possess a license would face draconian penalties. Four plants would put a Vermonter behind bars for three years and demand a $10,000 fine. More than 10 plants would punish that Vermonter with five years in prison and a fine of $100,000.
In comparison, in another recent bill, the Senate assesses one year in prison for assaulting state-employed social workers.
Governor Peter Shumlin has stated as a condition of passage that the bill must eliminate the black market. Both he and Senator White have been warning of the hardened criminals that operate their mythical black market.