Stoners, Activists Rebuke Jeff Sessions As Vermont Quietly Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

The U.S. state of Vermont has done something no state has ever done before – it has legalized recreational marijuana through the state legislature rather than through a ballot initiative, in a rebuke to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions who just recently reversed an Obama-era marijuana policy [known as the Cole Memo] that allowed states to implement their own marijuana laws despite federal law prohibiting it.

How could Vermont legalize marijuana, which the U.S. government considers as a Schedule I drug with zero medical value and a high potential for abuse [keeping it in the same category as heroin and a more restrictive category than Schedule 2 drugs like cocaine and meth], despite proven medical benefits? [Just so know: Marijuana slows and stops cancer cells from spreading, prevents Alzheimer’s, treats glaucoma, controls epileptic seizure, decreases anxiety, protects brain after a stroke, and helps veterans suffering from PTSD]

The credit goes to Vermont’s stoners and activists who are trying to turn the election of Donald Trump into a unifying moment for their various movements. VICE writes:

“In addition to savvy state house operators, the driving force of these efforts have been concerned private citizens who actively got involved in the direction their little slice of a state was going, and felt it necessary to organize themselves and neighbours towards political action.”

Though the bill doesn't establish a market for production and sale of marijuana, possession of up to one ounce of cannabis and home cultivation of two mature plants by adults over 21 years of age would be legal. Erik Altieri, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said in a statement:

“While prohibitionists like Attorney General Jeff Sessions desperately try to force our country to return to the dark ages, his flailing seems to be for naught. The American people have made their position clear.”

According to a recent Gallup poll, nearly 64% of Americans currently support cannabis legalization; as of March 2017, 57% of Vermonters were in favour of it. This year, retail sales of medical and recreational cannabis in America are expected to hit $5 billion-$6 billion. By 2021, the U.S. cannabis market could be generating as much as $17 billion in annual revenue.

Nevertheless, the cannabis industry faces an uphill battle in the country, especially when it comes to financing. Most of the largest U.S. banks avoid any dealings with the legal cannabis industry. Producers and dispensaries are barred from accessing many of the banking services, including basics like loans and deposits. Fox Business writes:

“Unfortunately, the marijuana market remains dominated by small players with limited market share, and as a result, most publicly traded marijuana stocks trade on unregulated over-the-counter markets that are ripe for fraud. Additionally, because these companies are reinvesting heavily into their businesses, many of these companies are unprofitable.”

However, by achieving legalization through the legislative process, Vermont is paving the way for other states to follow suit and change the status quo. What's the first thing that they can do right now? Eli Harrington, the 30-year-old Vermont resident and founder of pro-weed advocacy group Heady Vermont, told VICE:

“The most important thing is humanizing the issue. Maybe today it's about marijuana legalization, maybe tomorrow it's about the minimum wage, maybe the day after that it's about a tax credit, or a consumer safety issue. So, it is really important as an issue because it's engaging a lot of people in the process.

“Start building a coalition and a community out loud. Find other allies and raise the flag. It's really starting that process of getting into a post-prohibition mindset, and not being afraid of the stigma, because the public opinion is behind this firmly. Especially when you think of, generationally, people that are in charge now and people that will be in charge in the future. The millennials are the biggest age group and we firmly support this.”