NEWPORT — Vermont Department of Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn will travel to Colorado next week to study the effects of marijuana legalization.
“Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana, and we want to see the impacts of that law,” Commissioner Flynn said.
The Commissioner will travel with a delegation that includes Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan and advocates for and against marijuana legalization in Vermont.
“Legalization is being discussed in Vermont and we believe that an on the ground look at how it has been implemented will give us a unique insight into the issue,” Flynn said. “It is important to learn as much as we can about the regulation, the effects on communities, and any other information that will provide policymakers with as much information as possible when considering decision points around this issue.”
The delegation will meet with Governor John Hickenlooper’s staff, the U.S. Attorney in Denver, law enforcement agencies, schools, and drug treatment professionals. They will then tour a marijuana growing facility, visit a marijuana store, and speak with the public.
“The people of Colorado will know best how this has impacted their lives,” Flynn said. “Whether it has or it hasn’t, we can learn a lot from just listening to what people have to say.”
The delegation will include:
Keith Flynn, Commissioner, Vermont Public Safety
TJ Donovan, Chittenden County State’s Attorney
Bill Darrow, Assistant United States Attorney, District of Vermont.
Jake Perkinson, Counsel; Champlain Valley Dispensary.
Mary Alice McKenzie, Executive Director, Burlington Boys & Girls Club
David Mickenberg, Lobbyist, MPP
Bill Young, Executive Director , Maple Leaf Farm Treatment Facility.
Steve Benard, Sheriff, Rutland County, Vermont.
Paul Doucette, Chief of Police, Bennington , Vermont.
Before they go, they need to read some of the most basic research on the subject. They should start with the histories of the marijuana laws that they will find if they search for “Historical Research on Drug Policy”. That collection includes numerous histories by different authors, as well as the full text of hundreds of original historical documents. They need to understand how this whole mess got started.
Then they need to read “Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy” That is a collection of the full text of every major government commission on the subject from around the world over the last 100 years. They all reached suprisingly similar conclusions. They all agreed that the marijuana laws were based on ignorance and nonsense, and that marijuana prohibition does more harm than good, no matter what you think about the dangers of marijuana. This current policy is about the absolute worst thing we could do to address the marijuana issues.
you do not need to raise more tax money this way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,quit pissin away money on dumb shit and things will be ok