Marijuana Legalization in New England Is Stalled by Opiate Crisis

By JESS BIDGOODAPRIL 19, 2016

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Gov. Peter Shumlin of Vermont, a Democrat, has supported efforts to create a regulated market for recreational marijuana in the state. CreditJacob Hannah for The New York Times

MONTPELIER, Vt. — First came Colorado and Washington. Then Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. Now advocates for legal marijuana are looking to New England, hoping this part of the country will open a new front in their efforts to expand legalization nationwide.

But this largely liberal region is struggling with the devastating effect of opiate abuse, which is disrupting families, taxing law enforcement agencies and taking lives. And many lawmakers and public officials are balking at the idea of legalizing a banned substance, citing potential social costs.

“The shadow of the heroin epidemic is something that people think about when they think about the legalization, and they ask themselves, ‘Are we sending the right message about legalization?’ ” said Shap Smith, the speaker of the House in Vermont, who is open to legalizing marijuana. “I think in the public’s mind, it’s making passage of this bill more difficult.”

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