Vermont's court diversion programs are watching for the impact of a new law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Put into effect at the start of this month, the new law makes possessing an ounce or less of marijuana or up to five grams of hashish a civil rather than criminal offense.

But the new law also includes big incentives for violators under age 21 to enroll in the state's court diversion programs -- a process usually used to divert those accused of minor crimes into a system that addresses offenses through community restoration efforts and other redemptive activities in exchange for purging the criminal charge.

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It's time to end the war on drugs, said one of the founders of LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, who spoke to the Northfield Rotary Club last week. Capt. Peter Christ (pronounced "Chris"), Vice Chair from the New York chapter of the group, told local Rotary members and guests present that society could save lives, reduce disease, crime and addiction as well as conserve the tax dollars the government is spending on the War on Drugs, if the drug laws were reformed.

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BARRE - As the ink dries on Vermont's newly signed marijuana decriminalization law, a retired police captain has been traveling around the state talking to rotary clubs and media outlets about his groups opposition to the country's drug policy.

- -- Peter Christ worked for the Tonawanda, N.Y., police department for 20 years. After he retired he co-founded a group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). The organization is composed of those who previously worked in the criminal justice field and now are speaking out against the so called "drug war." Christ said his organization offers something that other organizations can't in terms of who is presenting the message. When there is a drug debate and those in law enforcement present a police chief or state trooper to argue for maintaining current drug policy, LEAP can send its own former police chief or former state trooper to argue for change.

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Gov. Shumlin signed into law Thursday a bill that decriminalizes possession of an ounce or less of marijuana

ESSEX - As of July 1, those caught by police in Vermont with an ounce or less of marijuana will be subject to a ticket, not a criminal charge.

Gov. Peter Shumlin signed the bill into law Thursday while speaking to a group of public defenders at their annual conference at the Inn at Essex. The law makes Vermont the 17th state to either decriminalize or legalize marijuana.

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The Rutland Town Select Board has decided not to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in town.

Following a trend set by a number of other communities in Rutland County, Select Board members recently lent their perspectives to a debate taking place in towns around the state.

"Mainly because our neighboring communities have been talking about it, I thought it should get a thorough airing," Selectman James Hall said.

No specific request regarding a marijuana dispensary has been submitted or discussed with the town. Some communities, including Rutland and Fair Haven, are working toward, or have already implemented, bans on the opening of dispensaries that would legally provide marijuana to those prescribed the drug.

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Selling marijuana will remain completely illegal in the City of Rutland.

The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Monday to approve an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries and the growing of marijuana for such dispensaries within city limits. There was no debate on the measure, which had unanimously cleared the Public Safety Committee the previous week.

Act 65, which authorized the licensing of four medical marijuana dispensaries around the state, allows municipalities to opt out by using either zoning or an ordinance to forbid such facilities.

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A medical marijuana dispensary has been approved to set up shop in Burlington.

The Champlain Valley Dispensary was granted conditional approval by the Department of Public Safety to begin selling marijuana to patients with chronic illness or intractable pain Sept. 10.

The dispensary, which will be located inside the Wing Complex on Steele Street, is expected to be open for business within six months.

Shayne Lynn, the owner of Champlain Valley Dispensary, told WCAX that he hopes to provide a comfortable and safe atmosphere for his patients.

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Legalizing marijuana may still be up for debate, but come Election Day, Burlington voters will have the chance to tell lawmakers how the Queen City really feels about the illegal drug.

With an 11-3 vote, the city council approved a non-binding question on the November ballot that will allow citizens of Burlington to vote for or against the legalization of cannabis and hemp products.

The official ballot question, denied two years ago with a 6-6 vote, states, "Shall the people of Burlington support the legalization, regulation and taxation of all cannabis and hemp products?"

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WATERBURY -- The state Public Safety Department has conditionally approved two medical marijuana dispensaries.

The approvals under the state's medical marijuana program are for Patients First Inc. in Waterbury and Champlain Valley Dispensary Inc. in Burlington, according to the state.

Once each dispensary satisfies the stipulations set forth in the statute, a certificate of operation will be issued. The dispensaries are expected to open within six months of approval, following rules adopted by the Public Safety Department.

The state would not identify the proposed locations of the sites.

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Cannabis Referendum Could Serve As Message to Montpelier Leaders

Legalize marijuana and hemp? Don't hold your breath.

But with eight votes Monday night, the 14-member Burlington City Council might place a non-binding question on the legalization issue before city voters in November.

Councilor Max Tracy, P-Ward 2, plans to introduce the referendum at the Monday council meeting with Democratic co-sponsors Ed Adrian, Ward 1, and Norm Blais, Ward 6.

The proposed ballot item reads: "Shall the people of Burlington support the legalization, regulation, and taxation of all cannabis and hemp products?"

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Deputies hear a car alarm and rush out to find a nasty surprise in the parking lot.

The deputies with the Orleans County Sheriff's Department were rousted from a quiet Thursday afternoon in the Newport, Vt., office this week by a car alarm - from their own parking lot.

Two deputies bolted for the door. In the back lot, they found five cruisers, one transport van and another department vehicle crushed on the concrete like soon-to be-recycled cans.

They also saw a large tractor rumbling down the road and out of sight.

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Editor of the Reformer:

Regarding your July 13 editorial, the use of synthetic marijuana is an unintended side-effect of the war on natural marijuana. Consumers are turning to potentially toxic drugs made in China and sold as research chemicals before being repackaged as legal incense. Expanding the drug war will do little other than add to what is already the highest incarceration rate in the world. Chinese chemists will tweak formulas to stay one step ahead of the law and two steps ahead of the drug tests. New versions won't be safer. Misguided efforts to protect children from drugs are putting children at risk.

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Every day we hear of atrocities committed in Mexico related to the illegal drug trade.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are locked up behind bars for nothing more than possessing an illegal drug.

College students have lost federal aid because they toked on a joint.

Substance abusers can't get the help they need to kick their habits because more than a trillion dollars has been spent on prohibition since Pres. Nixon declared the war on drugs.

Now add a few more causalities to the list: Those who have been seriously injured or killed by synthetic marijuana, which can cause elevated body temperature and blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, seizures, suicidal ideation, paranoia, hallucinations, psychotic episodes, organ failure and death.

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MONTPELIER - It was 1975, and a teen-aged Joe Benning was playing guitar with his rock band at the home of a bandmate when police raided the home. He didn't smoke marijuana, he said, but knew some of his friends did. Benning and his friends got arrested.

Fast-forward to 2012, and Benning is a 55-year-old defense attorney and Republican senator from Caledonia County. On the Vermont Senate floor Friday, he pulled out what was a surprise to some senators - an amendment that would decriminalize an ounce or less of marijuana, making possession of it a civil penalty similar to a traffic ticket instead.

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I was disappointed to read recently that legislation to decriminalize marijuana was "stalled" in the House. Legalization and regulation of marijuana would be the most reasonable approach to this public policy issue, but decriminalization would have been a step in the right direction.

The proposed legislation was well thought out and would have encouraged youthful offenders (under 21 years old) in the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana to choose an educational / community service piece, offered in every county through court diversion, in lieu of a fine. Repeat youthful offenders would face increasing fines and possibly the loss of their driver's license for a specified period of time. A person 21 years of age or older would simply face a fine, which would increase for repeat civil offenses.

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MONTPELIER - A recent survey of Vermonters shows broad support of decriminalization of marijuana, but legislation is stalled in the House that would reduce the possession of small quantities of marijuana to a civil offense.

According to a Public Policy Polling survey of nearly 1,100 Vermonters released this week, a majority of Vermont voters is in favor of removing criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Under Vermont law, the penalty for possession of marijuana is up to six months in jail and up to a $500 fine.

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MONTPELIER -- Evidence of gang activity is on the rise in Vermont, spurred by an active illicit drug market and the ease of obtaining guns in the state, the commander of the Vermont Narcotics Investigation Unit told a Senate panel Thursday. Also at the hearing, a state Health Department official expressed support for the concept of allowing state police drug investigators access to Vermont's prescription drug monitoring database.

"There's no question that we have gang members from large metropolitan areas coming to Vermont specifically to profit from the drug trade," Vermont State Police Capt. Glenn Hall said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

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MONTPELIER -- Vermont's first medical marijuana dispensaries might be slightly delayed by Tropical Storm Irene but could begin to pop up as early as this summer.

A law that passed last year authorized up to four privately run dispensaries, putting the job of creating rules for them in the hands of the state Public Safety Department.

Those rules should be ready in the next couple of weeks, Francis Aumand, director of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, told the Senate Government Operations Committee on Wednesday.

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I had been traveling for some time, when I came back home and discovered that Vermont had finally repealed its archaic compliance with the U.S. marijuana prohibition. The millions of dollars wasted on Law Enforcement and the Judicial system in their efforts to comply with this outdated mandate was too much for pragmatic Vermont. It was an unexpectedly progressive and enlightened step forward when Governor Shumlin enacted the new "Vermont Gold" law.

At the state liquor store there was a rack of 20 brands of Vermont's finest Marijuana and hashish. The attractive packages were certified, weighed, taxed, and branded with the Freedom and Unity labels. Each of the brands -- Vermont Gold, Maple Red, Cow-patty Natural, and so forth - -- was neatly displayed, along with the prices: $15 for a quarter-ounce of Gold, and $10 for the Maple Red. What the hippies had long fantasized about had finally materialized. Marginal agricultural land became verdant pastures, and new cottage industries started to boom. Even Grandma in Guilford was making the finest handcrafted bongs. She said, "Vermonters have been using this weed for generations, as a lineament, a salve, a cure for arthritic pains, and a neat way to treat whatever else ails you. What took 'em so long to make it legal?"

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MONTPELIER -- For Sue Thayer of East Wallingford, a new law that allows four medical marijuana dispensaries to be set up in Vermont comes long after she was busted for growing cannabis. She was growing it to help her ailing son cope with weight loss and poor appetite as he waited for a new kidney.

Still, she and Max, who has that new kidney now, joined a celebration Thursday at the Statehouse as Gov. Peter Shumlin signed legislation that should prevent anyone else from the cruel choice Sue Thayer said she faced.

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