For the growing number of Vermonters sympathetic to the cause of snuffing out pot prohibition in our lifetimes, there are oodles of convincing facts and figures to support their case. But is Roger Pion’s act of monster-truck vengeance exacted upon the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office one of them?

This week, BTV Green — the pro-pot activist group that convinced the Burlington City Council to put a nonbinding referendum on cannabis legalization on the Nov. 6 ballot — unveiled its new stickers and poster art (right). One depicts the now-iconic image of the Newport farmer driving his 10-ton tractor over eight police vehicles, reportedly in retribution for police harassment as well as an arrest for marijuana possession.

Is the image a clever collectible bound to end up on the walls of countless Burlington dorm rooms and frat houses? Without a doubt. But is it the most effective message for convincing undecided voters that pot smokers are chill, nonviolent, responsible citizens? Initial damage estimates from Pion’s handiwork exceeded $250,000 — not including police embarrassment over having to apprehend him on foot.

“We weren’t sure that anyone would be turned off by that [image],” argues BTV Green founder Albert Petrarca.

Staff Writer Ken Picard is a senior staff writer at Seven Days. A Long Island, N.Y., native who moved to Vermont from Missoula, Mont., he was hired in 2002 as Seven Days’ first staff writer, to help create a news department. Ken has since won numerous regional and national awards for his features, profiles and investigative stories and had his work picked up by international news outlets. He was the first journalist to shine a light on the thousands of undocumented workers in Vermont’s dairy...

29 replies on “Dope or Dopey? Burlington’s “Legalize It” Advocates Choose Cruiser-Crushing Farmer To Push Message”

  1. They are not lying, but the placebo effect and other variables make this kind of self-reporting anecdote useless for scientific purposes. There was a time when people took “life giving radium” as a vitamin, and reported immediate improvement in vigor. Really. Until they died of leukemia, that is.

  2. You are right. It’s been known for years that Cannabinoids, not THC, are the component with medical value. But tokers don’t want to hear that. It’s so obvious that this is really about getting high. When was the last time you saw someone walking down the street with an aspirin or hemorrhoid cream graphic on his T-shirt?

  3. If you are trying to prove that weed is harmless and legalizing it is a good idea, the worst possible mascot would be a stoned out rage-head smashing up $250,000 of public property. I like the way the same slackers who demand their freedom to toke expect free medical care, free food stamps, subsidized housing, etc. If the government really got out of their lives they wouldn’t last a week.

  4. It’s truly scary to read what the potheads on here think. Pot CURES cancer, because they did a Google search??? Really??? That might be evidence that pot actually does make you dumber.

  6. tell that to the people who’ve been cured using Rick Simpsons oil. i suppose they’re all lying.

  7. “According to an affidavit from State Police Lieutenant Kirk Cooper,
    police heard on September 12 that the 34-year-old Newport resident was
    being “advised by the gods to start shooting people.””
    Barton Chronicle

  8. Umm, you do realize that the article specifically states smoking pot doesn’t help, one single compound of hundreds is needed in quantities and concentrations that require injection. Smoking pot is bad, although there are certain compounds produced by the plant that are useful.

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