The Utter Hypocrisy of Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin

“It is a crisis bubbling beneath the surface that may be invisible to many, but is already highly visible to law enforcement, medical personnel, social service and addiction treatment providers and too many Vermont families. It requires all of us to take action before the quality of life that we cherish so much is compromised.” (Peter Shumlin)


So Vermont's governor is concerned about opiate abuse in the state. In fact, he made it the centerpiece of his recent State of the State address. Congratulations, governor, for shining a light on a critical problem. 

Also, you are a hypocrite.

We are referring, of course, to your comments indicating that you are now "open" to legalizing marijuana. Already with your support, possession of marijuana has been decriminalized and "medical" marijuana is now legal in Vermont. Before you decided to go down this path, perhaps you studied California's experience in mainstreaming marijuana. If you did, you would have learned that things did not go well there, prompting even some who had been in favor to call for a re-evaluation. Apparently dope dispensaries opened on every other corner and getting a note from your doctor to buy cannabis was as easy as getting a library card. Meanwhile, have you seen what is going on in Colorado?  In that state, legislators apparently just said: what the heck, let's skip the whole medicinal ruse and just legalize it for everyone! There is even talk there of "marijuana tourism." Let's hope that is not what you have in mind as the next logical step for growing Vermont tourism. 

By the way, did you really call up the folks at The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (ironically known as NORML) and volunteer to be a spokesperson as was widely reported? Do you see any disconnect between your concern about opiates and your chill attitude toward weed?

Young people are masterly at rationalization. Just talk to them. If adults send signals that possession of marijuana is not such a big deal, teenagers will not focus on the nuances. The message that kids hear is that smoking marijuana is OK. And they will do it before school, during school, after school. It is disappointing that you do not get that.

Here is the thing, governor. Experts tell us that the percentage of people who are now abusing opiates and who first started out smoking dope rounds to ... 100%. Did anyone on your staff ever discuss with you the concept of a "gateway" drug? Marijuana is THE gateway drug for all illegal drug abuse. To draw an analogy, yes, there IS a difference between petty shoplifting and burglary. But failing to punish the shoplifter creates later consequences for society. So while your focus on opiates is admirable, reasonable people may question how that squares with your relaxed attitude about marijuana.

A final thought: before you take the next step and legalize marijuana please check in with the dedicated folks who work at the various organizations in the state who deal with drug abuse. No doubt they have sad stories to tell of the carnage that illicit drugs have had on individuals, families and society. These stories all have a common starting point.