Vote on eliminating THC caps on legal sales set for Friday
By Guy Page
In the battle over the THC cap on legal marijuana products, Vermont doctors argue the risk to mental health if the caps are raised or eliminated. The marijuana industry claims not eliminating the cap will be bad for business.
The House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee has scheduled a vote this Friday on H.612, which would (among other changes to regulated marijuana sales) eliminate the THC caps on some marijuana products.
Physicians for Healthy Communities, a group of Vermont doctors concerned, has purchased advertising on WDEV, Vermont’s community radio station, to express concern about proposed legislation to remove the THC cap on marijuana sold legally in retail stores.
The first ad tells the story of Johnny Stack, who died by suicide after developing paranoid psychosis as a result of ingesting large amounts of high-THC marijuana purchased legally in Colorado. The narrator is his mother, Laura Stack, says Johnny told her three days before his death:
“I just want you to know you were right. You said marijuana would hurt my brain. Marijuana has ruined my mind and my life and I’m sorry.” Days later, convinced the Mob was after him and that everyone could read his thoughts, he threw himself off the sixth story of a garage.
The second Physicians for Healthy Communities ad states plainly the absence of peer-reviewed medical literature supporting the use of high-THC products for treating medical conditions. In fact the Vermont Psychiatric Association recommends warning labels indicating the risk of “psychosis, suicide ideation, addiction, impaired driving, and more.”
H.612, introduced by Committee Chair Mike McCarthy (D-St. Albans) and Vice-Chair Matt Birong (D-Vergennes). At the request of the marijuana industry, which says high-concentrate THC is much in demand, the bill would “eliminate THC caps on cannabis flower and solid and liquid concentrates.”
The Vermont Medical Society argues that high THC has a strong negative mental health impact, with no unique positive effect. Some Vermonters testified on the pain-relief benefits of marijuana consumption.
“In terms of the medical cannabis program, researchers like the Yale School of Medicine are questioning the therapeutic value of high potency products and publishing the increasing adverse effects and risks related to regular use of dabs and high THC concentrates. There is also increasing evidence that chronic pain is best managed with products with THC potency that is less than 10-15% THC,” Vermont Medical Society (VMS) Jill Sudhoff-Guerin testified to Gov Ops on February 22.
Industry testimony, however, indicates concern about lost market share (and therefore, lost state tax revenue) if THC caps remain.
“Of the 24 states that have legalized cannabis, only Vermont and Connecticut impose statutory limits on the potency of flower and concentrates,” lawyer and Vermont Cannabis Action Fund spokesperson David Silberman testified January 12. “These arbitrary caps do not provide any public health benefits, drive consumers to neighboring states or the unregulated “legacy” market, and endanger the health and safety of cannabis users. There are no known safe diluents for inhalable cannabis concentrates…..THC Edibles account for nearly 20% of the overall cannabis market. Only Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts limit edibles to 5mg of THC per serving; all other states cap servings at 10mg. With Upstate NY stores now open, Vermonters seeking 10mg edibles have safe and legal access a short drive away. Increasing the limit to 10mg will support local businesses and the tax base.”
Committee members may be contacted at the State House at 802-828-2228 or by email:
- Rep. Michael McCarthy, Chair
- Rep. Matthew Birong, Vice Chair
- Rep. Mark Higley, Ranking Member
- Rep. Lucy Boyden, Clerk
- Rep. Seth Chase
- Rep. Lisa Hango
- Rep. Philip Jay Hooper
- Rep. Robert Hooper
- Rep. Michael Morgan
- Rep. Michael Mrowicki
- Rep. Kate Nugent
- Rep. Chea Waters Evans
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Categories: Health Care, Legislation
Guess nobody saw this coming.
Now we can apply all those new-found tax revenues to the clinics, rehab centers and outreach programs that have been waiting in the wings for the flood gates to open.
Thank you LT Gov Zuckerman (and your cronies) for all you support in creating this social disaster. Now let us see the scramble to place the blame and supplement the social infrastructure required to support the end result.
Add this to the list.
So logically 100 proof vodka will be banned soon. Couldn’t be a problem with dumb consumers instead, could it?
Vermont’s liquor stores have never been in any danger of losing business because they can’t sell 200 proof grain alcohol. The weed sold in stores in Vermont is PLENTY potent…and if you want to get higher just take 2 puffs instead of 1. What are these democrats thinking…oh, yea, they’re democrats, so they’re NOT thinking…they are just following the instructions from their donor base.
Drinking water and eating something is the KNOWN and recommended way of dampening the ‘toop high’ – and I might add, preexisting conditions and culture play heavily into mental illness and suicided — social conditions, and whether one has the addict gene or not.
Alcohol is responsible for more deaths than any other legalized substance…we just had a legislator arrested for DUI… DC floats on liquid lunches…but lets just focus on pointing the finger at the pot smokers…
And I am sorry their son’s addictive personality led to his suicide. Like guns, its not the THC that kills. Its the person imbibing it… and those around them that ignore it until its too late…because of THEIR little addictions (sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, porn, gambling…)…
Neglect causes suicide more than anything else. We refuse to sit with someone and listen… instead we’d prefer to label them and hand them over to a stranger.
The issue is NOT the drug.
Its the state of the nation’s mental health: who WANTS to live in a world addicted to and enabling death?
Its a plant. Its mediciinal. Yes, it can be abused…by those who always abuse whatever substance they are given…because they are genetically predisposed.
Don’t make the rest of us pay for their weakness…that is genetic. Lets sign them up for the VT eugenics program instead…
(SICK JOKE)
Unless things change, the overall consensus of the committee is to keep the THC caps in place. Thanks, Rep. Mark Higley
it is too bad the doctors did not warn us about the covid kill shot/// i guess it depends on who is making all the money/// did covid cause mental illness/// it depends on whose ox gets gored/// do you believe your doctor///
Listen this boondoggle was only put into place because our elected officials were only interested in the tax revenue, and personal or family health ……. didn’t matter, and it still doesn’t …………………wake up people !!
Liquor Stores were an ESSENTIAL Business during the plandemic. Think about that one.
Big pharma – better living through chemistry! In order to boost THC content, it stands to reason that some lab tech or maniacal sociopath experiments and manipulates the plant. Is the objective to break a person’s mind or eleviate symptoms? How high is too high? Anti-depressent pharmacutical drugs do the same damage. Let’s not forget the investors want big returns on these products – they ponied up big money to get this industry off the ground. The plant is not the problem – the freaks of misery profiteering off making it a bioweapon are the problem.