Marijuana to Become Legal for Adults in Vermont on Sunday
MONTPELIER, VT Marijuana will become legal for adults in Vermont on Sunday, making it the ninth state to lift its prohibition on adult marijuana use (in addition to D.C.) and the first to do so via the legislative process.
House Bill 511 was approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott in January.
It eliminates the states civil penalty for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and removes penalties for cultivation of up to two mature marijuana plants and four immature plants by adults 21 and older.
A more detailedsummary of the law isavailable here.
Vermonters are ready to end marijuana prohibition, said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, which has been lobbying in Vermont since 2003. Gov. Scott and the Legislature deserve a great deal of credit for listening to their constituents and moving forward with this first phase of legalization. Adults shouldnt be punished for using a substance less harmful than alcohol, and starting July 1 they no longer will be in the Green Mountain State.
Now that marijuana is legal for adults, its time for the state to get serious about regulating it and ensuring it is being produced and sold safely and legally.
The Governors Marijuana Advisory Commission, which formed last year to develop a plan to regulate and tax marijuana for adult use, will issue its final report by November 15. A newly elected Legislature will consider that proposal when it convenes in January.
A regulated market will create jobs ...
