By Guy Page
Repealing legal penalties for selling up to 149 milligrams of crack cocaine – almost twice the lethal amount of a single dose – is part of a drug abuse ‘harm reduction’ bill cited as a high priority at Saturday’s pre-session caucus of Democratic legislators.
The Legislature reconvenes in January for the second year of the 2023-24 biennium. Because Democrats control 104 seats, a united Democratic caucus can pass any bill it chooses and override a gubernatorial veto (100 needed to override).
As introduced in January, H.72, titled “a harm-reduction criminal justice response to drug use,” would repeal this current law: “A person knowingly and unlawfully possessing crack cocaine in an amount consisting of 60 grams or more [up to 149 grams] of one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures, or substances containing crack cocaine with the intent to sell or dispense the crack cocaine shall be imprisoned not more than 30 years or fined not more than $1,000,000.00, or both.”
The lethal dose of cocaine is 82.5 milligrams, according to addictionresource.net. A typical smoked dose of crack is between 15 to 50 mg.
The bill does not offer a lower alternative sentence, effectively making the sale of 149 mg of crack cocaine legal – allthough possibly not forever. H.72 also creates a Drug Use Standards Advisory Board. “The primary objective of the Board shall be to determine, for each regulated and unregulated drug, the benchmark personal use dosage and the benchmark personal use supply. The benchmarks determined pursuant to this subsection shall be determined with a goal of preventing and reducing the criminalization of personal drug use.”
The bill also immunizes from prosecution the operators and property owners of so-called ‘safer drug consumption programs…. where persons who use drugs can consume pre-obtained drugs.”
At these sites, supervised by health care professionals, trained staff provide sterile injection supplies, collect used needs, answer questions of safe consumption, administer first aid and treat overdoses, and provide referrals for addiction treatment. Existing sites in New York City claim to have reduced overdoses, but critics say it has not reduced substance abuse overall.
The bill this year was passed around without an affirmative vote by four committees – Judiciary, Human Services, Ways and Means, and Appropriations – without any vote taken. Most of the sponsors are Progressives or liberal Democrats: Reps. Taylor Small (lead sponsor), Daisy Berbeco, Alyssa Black, Tiffany Bluemle, Michelle Bos-Lun, Jessica Brumsted, Kevin Christie, Brian Cina, Leonora Dodge, Katherine Donnally, Golrang Garofano, Leslie Goldman, Troy Headrick, Philip “Jay” Hooper, Noah Hyman, Saudia LaMont, Josie Leavitt, Kate Logan, Jubilee McGill, Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Kelly Pajala, Barbara Rachelson, Mike Rice, Katherine Sims, Mary-Katherine Stone, Heather Surprenant, David Templeman, Dara Torre, and Joseph “Chip” Troiano.
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Categories: Legislation
I think we need to switch to a biennial legislative session – as a harm reduction measure for Vermonters. Merry Christmas.
Lol, check your science, according to your number every average crack user died 30 years ago
You caught the mistake, but failed to explain it. Going by the referenced article, the lethal dose is not 82.5mg, but rather 82.5mg/kg which works out to some seven grams for a 180lb person. (I realize crack is a bit more powerful weight/weight than the salt.) The author’s error takes away much of the force of his argument. There are about 120 Vermonters in jail in Mississippi that won’t fit in Vermont’s prisons. Do we really want to add to that number over trivial quantities of drugs?
Harm reduction? Den-Prog “Newspeak” !
“Harm reduction” is just Dem-Prog “Newspeak”.
This is happening because the progressive agenda is the United Nations agenda from DEI and SEL, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, free lunches, gender theory to legalizing drug use. The new society governed by ESG and international, nonelected entities plan to use drugs as a means to entertain the large masses of people who will be unemployed because AI will take over that work. Everyone will function in the metavers including education. The World Economic Forum stated this explicitly. The sexualization of children is also very important because these corporatists plan to allow manager’s to scan a person’s brain to monitor work productivity. Manager’s will be allowed to display sexual images on a person’s computer to redirect their thoughts. The 2023 DAVOS Meeting did a presentation on this. The presenter showed the technology, which is ready to be deployed. Brain wave data will be shared with law enforcement.
So the Democrats’ response to the rise in crime and drug use in Vermont is to legalize crack? Time to start calling your legislators.
Yeah, that will do the trick. Just like it changed their minds about taxing home heating oils under their “Affordable” Heat Act.
maybe if I send them an email? That will surely change their mind!
Unfortunately calling one’s legislators falls on deaf ears…Dems create these impossible hurdles and perpetuate roadblocks…Vermont is lost without a self-reflective conscience and discernment about evil among lawmakers…pathetic and sad that those who can create reform and correction choose not to…
So…is less than 60 grams already legal?
Dude, drug dealing is the easiest business to start in our state, no permits required, everybody’s doing it. It’s even easier than getting solar panels put up, because the economics work…get somebody hooked and you got a customer for life, their lives go down the drain and they’ll do anything, and I mean anything to keep buying drugs from you.
All the drug dealers know Vermont is a hayseed state, you too can become a drug dealer, it’s easy. Kinda’ a like becoming a Ho, you know Velvet Jones? The state of Vermont is trying to get Eddie Murphy to do a PSA……”Vermont Strong, how to be a dealer!”…..
I’ll let you know when it comes out.
The middle man is only making a living in a State that is caving into it’s own cellar hole. When Governor Empty Suit promised good paying jobs, he didn’t specify what type of jobs did he? A ship loaded with cocaine delivered through New York harbor didn’t get much attention because JP Morgan owned it. Build back better with coke! The fetanyl awash across the country is simply upholding trade agreements. The Legislature is doing their part to keep economic opportunities available, reducing regulations, relaxing penalties, keeping their bank accounts funded, and the populace so stoned and gaslighted, they can’t focus. Welcome to Pervmont[sic]. A great place to die and we’ll even compost your remains at no charge!
Just say NO….
So Vermont is filled with drug dealers from out of state drug dealing gangs and criminals. Half of the city is high and they are going to loosen the criminal Penalties.
Vermont you voted for this! Good luck.
This is a means to expedite the rest of the state becoming a sewer along with Chittenden County. So far, the Progressive agenda has been working as planned except for approving repeal of the get out jail free card card Narcan to the abusers among us.
All part of the master plan. VT is passing the point of no return.
If you build it ,they will come. So far VT has an open door policy bringing down the portions of society that keeps it civil.
It seems to me that Chittenden County is the center of the problems and the rest of the state could wake up under the right circumstances. But it will likely take a while.
If you haven’t guessed thus far that the entire objective of these radical Saul Alinksy/Klaus Schwab Marxist followers of the VT legislature was the DESTRUCTION of the entire United states……you guessed wrong!!!!
Nice to see others getting the big picture, very much fun chatting with you and Melissa Casey, The VTGOP thread, now three pages back seem to be getting a second win, lol.
Maybe the three of us could hold the debate for the next election, asking some questions, now THAT would be some fun! I’m in tears…could you imagine? I’m hysterical about the idea, oh Lord from my keyboard to your lips. Now that would be a rockin’ debate. Think Vermont Digger or 7 days would cover it? How about NPR? I’m cryin’….
Just think we could ask some basic questions, can you tell us the difference between a democracy and a republic? Not that would fun. Can you imagine the faces? The answers, then we can show the crowd a little clip……oh please Lord, make it so.
I’m not sure I could keep a straight face.
Only if I can bring a rain barrel full of holy water and open my comment speaking in the tongues, I may consider. “And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” — Acts 2:4.
test
OH, can’t forget Jay….he’d have to be in there too….could you imagine the 4 of us doing interviews in Montpelier, throw in a few other VDC commentators, just asking nice respectful questions, we could even give them ahead of time so they wouldn’t be “stumped”…???? Other than Guy and Michael, nobody asks any real questions, and they get away with press releases as interviews.
We could interview the county leaders of the VTGOP….same for VDP….
Could be some good times, for sure.