Rising overdoses and homelessness in Oregon, where hard drugs have been legalized, may be a red flag to Vermont lawmakers considering repealing legal penalties for the personal use of opioids.
Granite Grok (New Hampshire news and commentary website) editor Steve MacDonald recently reported on the Oregon 2021 drug-legalization experience. “As expected, things quickly went sideways,” MacDonald writes. “In the first year, overdose deaths rose 200 percent. …Human nature had, once again, taken progressive policy to the mat and beaten its scrawny little [behind].”
Governor vetoed attempts to legalize hard drugs in Vermont
The Vermont Legislature in 2022 passed H.505, titled “An act relating to the creation of the Drug Use Standards Advisory Board within the Vermont Sentencing Commission.” The bill was sponsored by then-House Judiciary Chair Maxine Grad, Rep. Martin LaLonde (D-South Burlington), and Rep. Bill Notte (D-Rutland). Grad is no longer in the Legislature, but LaLonde is now chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee.
The purpose of the bill is “to reclassify the penalties for unlawfully possessing, dispensing, and selling regulated drugs; to combine the criminal penalties for dispensing or selling heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of heroin and fentanyl.” In effect, it repealed legal penalties for possession of 60 grams or less of crack cocaine, and established a drug sentencing review board to examine further steps, including possibly decriminalization.
Gov. Phil Scott was not sold on the idea of legalizing or decriminalizing hard drugs. He vetoed the bill and he wrote in his veto letter, “This bill creates a Drug Use Standards Advisory Board with a stated goal to identify a path to effectively legalize personal possession and use of dangerous and highly addictive drugs.”
Scott added, “It places no limits on which drugs can be contemplated for legalization or the amounts, and while rightly saying we need to view substance abuse as a public health matter — a point where I agree — it includes absolutely no recognition of the often-disastrous health and safety impacts of using drugs like fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, and more. Nor does it acknowledge the role of enforcement in tracking down and stopping the dealers who seek to poison Vermonters — including children — for profit.”
Burlington Police Chief says overdoses dramatically increasing
VtDigger.com was recently told by Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad that The Queen City is also seeing an exceptionally high rate of drug abuse when compared with much of the rest of the nation.
“I’ve spoken to my fellow chiefs around the county,” he told them. “They are not seeing the same spike in overdoses that Burlington is seeing.”
The city had at least 350 overdoses as of mid-September of this year. The previous high the year prior year as of that point was 155. The current tally for 2023 as of Oct. 31 is now 422.
In September he had said more on the subject, including that “Overdoses in Burlington are at unconscionable levels,” the report states. “It is possible there may be as many as 500 by year’s end.”
Burlington mayoral candidates soft on drug use?
The current candidates for mayor of the Queen City are already being challenged to come up with tangible solutions to the growing drug use crisis. A report on Wednesday by Seven Days covering one of their debates describes where the candidates stand.
“Burlington leaders have generally favored harm reduction, believing that substance-use disorder is an illness that can’t be treated with incarceration. As drug use becomes more visible, though, some have suggested the city’s stance is too permissive,” the report states.
The report continues that all the candidates generally seem to favor treatment rather than incarceration, not unlike the policies currently failing in Oregon.
“The candidates also share similar views on how to address the problem,” it states. “They all believe Burlington would be safer with more police and better-funded social services, such as street outreach teams.”
The City’s Council recently passed a resolution declaring drug abuse a public emergency, but its wording fails to commit to a hard line on drug use.
“The public safety and health approaches must go hand in hand and are all part of the holistic approach to fully addressing this crisis,” the resolution states.
The Seattle City Council also passed a similar resolution this year, similarly continuing to avoid commitments to a stricter policy.
Online reaction
When an X user shared a Fox News report on the failures of Oregon’s drug policy, commenters piled on their frustrations.
“Well, for those wanting government out of their ability to take drugs. Oregon sounds like the haven they’ve been looking for.” @crazzer6 posted last week.
Another said that decriminalization leads to “lawlessness.”
“Of course…liberal now means lawless, and lawlessness is how a civilization is destroyed,” wrote @onetruthonelaw.
A native Oregonian said he left the city.
“True News! Papa and I were born and raised in Oregon! Lived there until 2020. Between Antifa and Fake BLM, Soros DA, mayor and Kate Brown! All Soros! Then drugs! Yup we were outta there! 
” wrote @Grams1st.
Another suggested that there is an outside influence at play.
Michael Bielawski | Vermont Daily Chronicle
