Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) speaks at Chester Rotary

        Matt Simon of the MPP spoke today on medical marijuana and legalization of recreational use of pot in the Green Mountain State and others. In Colorado and Washington where recreational use has been legalized already it has created many new jobs. Revenue, tourism and demand for housing are all on the increase since the legalization and use by minors is down.

       In Vermont, any change in marijuana laws must be made in the legislature where use of pot has been  decriminalized in recent years. The Shumlin administration is moving towards study on the issue and several of the GOP candidates for coming elections have stated their support of legalization.  Much of today’s discussion centered on issues around “impairment of users” in driving and the need for clear and effective methods to detect “impairment” of a user versus simply having marijuana in the blood stream where remnants linger for about a month without causing any problems.