By Michael Bielawski
This week lawmakers in the Senate look to abolish THC limits for marijuana, find funding to get PCBs out of schools, and more. Agendas published weekly on the Legislature’s website are subject to change.
Selling ‘super pot’ – H. 612 (Monday, Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs) Sponsored by Rep. Mike McCarthy, D-St. Albans, and Rep. Matt Birong, D-Vergennes
These “miscellaneous cannabis amendments” include marijuana flower and consumables without limits on the amount of THC (the active ingredient that makes people high) they may contain.
Currently, Vermont law allows for possession of up to 1 ounce of the plant, 5 grams of hashish [a condensed version of marijuana], and other marijuana products are restricted to not more than 500mg of THC.
The ‘no-limit’ provision is opposed by a group of Vermont physicians, Physicians for Healthy Communities.
Dr. Catherine Antley (left) of Physicians for Healthy Communities.
“High THC marijuana has no evidence based medical indication and it is dangerous,” Dr. Catherine Antley and several other physicians said in a May 3 note to the committee. “It is clear to us that in its current form H612 will dangerously increase access to high THC concentrates nominally “medical” in Vermont both for adults and for youth – as legal “medical” marijuana sold from recreational shops and as diverted high potency medical marijuana.”
Child poisoning from THC has risen 2000 percent and Vermont has one of the highest youth use rates in the nation, Antley said.
“THC poisonings are common in Vermont ERs. We are seeing marijuana induced psychosis for which individuals are hospitalized and sometimes do not ever recover. These are individuals – teens but also adults – who would be well but for their marijuana use,” PHC said.
Even unborn babies are showing high THC because ‘bud tenders’ recommend pot for morning sickness, Antley said.
“In Colorado 69 % of bud tenders recommend marijuana for morning sickness and we have seen increased cord blood positive for THC. Marijuana use in pregnant women is associated with increased autism, preterm birth and small for gestational age babies, all of which have costly sequelae for families and our state as a whole,” she said.
More access to student aid for immigrants – S. 191 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Education) Sponsored by Sen. Nader Hashim, D-Windham
This bill allows immigrants here under the Afghan relocation and other legal immigration programs to be counted as students eligible for student aid.
Retroactive liability for PCBs in schools? – H. 873 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Education) Sponsored by the House Committee on Education
This bill would “provide that if a school is required to test for the presence of PCBs, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) shall conduct the testing or pay for the testing. The bill provides that it is the intent of the General Assembly that ANR shall seek to hold the manufacturers of PCBs liable for the cost of PCB investigation, remediation, and removal in schools.”
VDC reported in April that there are some complications with who picks up the tab.
“The bill says companies that distribute PCBs must pay for the testing and removal of the chemicals in Vermont’s schools. But the bill has a caveat that’s triggered debate in the capitol: If a company doesn’t have enough money to pay, the state will pick up the slack through the education fund. And if money set aside for testing and removal dips below $4 million, testing will pause entirely,” the report states.
Expanding Restorative Justice – H. 645 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Finance) Sponsored by Rep. Karen Dolan, D-Essex Junction, and others
Restorative justice means that the perpetrators of certain crimes can qualify for reduced or dismissed jail time in exchange for participating in local support groups aimed at helping the person give back to society and get their life back together.
The bill is to “create precharge and post-charge diversion programs under the administration of the Community Justice Unit of the Office of Attorney General, and in consultation with the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs, for certain eligible offenses and persons. The Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs has the ability to create pre-charge and post-charge diversion policies, provided they contain certain statutorily proscribed minimums and are done in consultation with the Community Justice Unit and others.”
Offering new pension option for sheriffs – H. 585 (Monday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) Sponsored by Rep. Michael Mrowicki, D-Putney, and Rep. Daniel Noyes, D-Wolcott
This bill would “offer sheriffs and qualified deputy sheriffs an opportunity to join Group G of the Vermont State Employees’ Retirement System.” A state website says “Group G members (state employees who work in certain Department of Corrections and Department of Mental Health positions) forms a solid foundation for your retirement income.”
More restrictions on fertilizers? – H. 877 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Judiciary) Sponsored by the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry
This would “amend provisions related to mosquito control and provisions related to the regulation of fertilizer, limes, plant amendment, plant biostimulants, and soil amendments.”
It would allow the state to “cancel or suspend the registration of any fertilizer, plant amendment, plant biostimulant, soil amendment, or lime or refuse a registration application if he or she finds that the provisions of this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter have been violated, provided that no registration shall be revoked or refused without a hearing before the Secretary.”
Political commentator and former GOP gubernatorial candidate John Klar, also a farmer, has addressed the issues surrounding the use of pesticides in agriculture.
“The truth is that these foods are not made with less pollution, or better health outcomes. They are built on GMO crops dependent on chemical applications, synthetic fertilizers (made using fossil fuels) and tilling practices that increase erosion and aquifer draw-downs, pollute the environment, and produce chemical-laced products that damage human health and the gut biome.”
He continued that sometimes the old ways are best.
“In contrast, grass-fed cows raised on pasture rebuild soils and reduce water loss, churn out natural soil-nurturing organic fertilizers in lieu of factory fertilizers, and produce healthy meats people love to eat—all without chemicals, or eliminating cows from the planet,” he wrote.
Monitoring those in recovery – S. 186 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Health and Welfare) Sponsored by Sen. Virginia Lyons, D-Williston
This bill “proposes to require the Agency of Human Services to conduct a systemic evaluation of substance use disorder recovery residences and recovery communities in Vermont.”
The City of Burlington in particular has been having trouble with increased overdoses from hard drugs.
VtDigger wrote in a profile story of one addict’s experience, “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have declared fentanyl the ‘third wave’ of the opioid crisis after earlier phases driven first by prescription opioids then heroin. The drug’s now ubiquitous presence has sent the opioid crisis into uncharted territory — across the country, and in Vermont.”
New powers for the Ethics Commission – H. 875 (Monday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) Sponsored by the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs.
This bill would require certain county officers whether they are running for or currently in office to file financial disclosures. It also creates penalties if the disclosures come in late.
It would also give the State Ethics Commission the powers to “perform supplemental investigations and hearings and to issue warnings, reprimands, and recommended actions.”
Improving support for EMTs – H. 622 (Tuesday, Senate Panel on Ethics) Sponsored by Rep. Katherine Sims, D-Craftsbury.
This bill would improve the compensation for EMTs in Vermont. It proposes to “expand the circumstances under which ambulance service providers are reimbursed for delivering services to Medicaid beneficiaries.”
It would also revise the role of the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee to include “developing and maintaining a five-year statewide emergency medical services plan for Vermont.”
It would create an Emergency Medical Services Task Force to manage the “development, design, and implementation of a statewide emergency medical services system in Vermont.”
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle