Cannabis legalization in Vermont
There is no citizens initiative process in Vermont but in 2017, with a supermajority of voters in favor of ending cannabis prohibition, state lawmakers passed a bill legalizing the plant. Vermont initially stopped short of establishing a regulated marketplace but then lawmakers revisited the issue in 2020 with a tax-and-regulate proposal, which Gov. Philo Scott (R) allowed to pass into law without a signature. The measure included provisions letting individual municipalities decide for themselves whether or not to allow recreational cannabis sales. Sales are expected to launch in October 2022.
Vermont medical cannabis overview
There are state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries currently operating in Vermont. Registered cannabis patients can possess up to two ounces of cannabis (note: this limit is shared by patients’ designated caregivers, if applicable).
Only patients with the following conditions can qualify for Vermont’s medical cannabis program:
- Cancer
- PTSD
- Chronic pain
- Severe nausea
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Seizures
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Any patient who is receiving hospice care
Cannabis possession rules
- Adults aged 21+ in Vermont are allowed to possess up to an ounce of cannabis flower.
- Adults can also possess up to five grams of hashish or similar concentrate product.
- Home grows of up to six cannabis plants (two mature, four immature) are allowed for adults. Home growers are allowed to possess what they harvest, even if it exceeds the standard ounce possession limit.