In a tight vote, the VT Senate approved a new system to regulate the commercial cultivation and sale of marijuana, starting in 2018.

Advertisement Vermont Senate approves bill to legalize recreational marijuana Gov. Shumlin applauds action, urges House to follow suit Share Shares Copy Link Copy

In a tight vote Wednesday afternoon, Vermont state senators approved a measure to legalize recreational marijuana. The 16-13 preliminary vote means the measure will be up for final approval in the Senate Thursday afternoon.Watch this storySen. John Campbell, the president pro tem, voted no. He said the bill sends a terrible message to Vermont children.Sen. Peg Flory, a Rutland Republican, joined in the opposition. "We need to remember we may say it's legal in Vermont but it’s still violating federal law."Download the WPTZ appBut supporters said they had learned from the advice of officials in Colorado and Washington, devising a controlled system to allow the sale of small amounts of marijuana to adults 21 and older.That, they reasoned, would drive many black market dealers elsewhere, and shield Vermonters from the harder drugs dealers peddle."The question is how many people use marijuana and don't destroy their lives? The answer is millions," added Sen. Dick McCormack of Windsor County, who voted in favor. "There are bad effects to using marijuana. But there are bad effects to watching too much television."The legislation would establish a 25 percent sales tax on marijuana, along with licensing fees for growers and retailers. That would generate up to $20 million in new revenue, money reserved for drug prevention and treatment, for administration of the program, and for hiring and training additional law enforcement officers across the state.Still, a coalition of Vermont law enforcement leaders issued a statement Wednesday in opposition to the bill.Gov. Peter Shumlin said the Senate has done the right thing.“I want to thank the Senate for their courage in voting to end the failed war on drugs policy of marijuana prohibition,” Shumlin said. “When this debate began a month and a half ago, there were many who said it had no chance of passage in either chamber.”Shumlin noted a Rand Corporation study found 80,000 Vermonters already admit using marijuana on a monthly basis, one of the highest use rates in the country. They funnel millions to the illicit market each year.“I am proud that the Senate took lessons learned from states that have gone before us, asked the right questions and passed an incredibly thoughtful, common-sense plan that will bring out of the shadows an activity that one in seven Vermonters engage in on a regular basis,” he said. “The shadows of prohibition have prevented our state from taking rational steps to address marijuana use in our state.”The bill, S. 241, would allow licensing of up to 30 retail outlets which could legally sell in-state residents up to a half-ounce of marijuana in one transaction. Visitors could purchase up to one-quarter of an ounce. The legislation would take effect in January 2018.Individual communities could prohibit marijuana cultivation or retail outlets within their borders.Home-grown marijuana would remain illegal, as would the sale of edible marijuana products, though a new commission will study both issues. Still, prospects for S. 241 as it moves to the House of Representatives are unclear.While Speaker Shap Smith has said he supports a version of the bill, many of his members will require significant persuasion for it to pass before adjournment this May.Shumlin, in his final year in office, told reporters if the House fails to act it will likely be many years before a legalization bill would have this chance of passage.