The Status of Cannabis Legalization in VT
In recent Vermont cannabis reform, HB 270 was passed by state legislators and heads to a congressional hearing. House Bill 270 increases the number of plants patients can cultivate at home, allowing for six mature and 12 immature plants.
The bill also increases the maximum allowable THC content in a single edible cannabis product from 50 to 100 mg, expands the list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis treatment, increases the number of patients for whom a caregiver may provide services, and removes annual registration fees for qualifying caregivers.
Vermont became the ninth state to legalize recreational cannabis on January 22, 2018. The Vermont Legislature became the first in the US to legalize recreational marijuana without the use of a ballot initiative.
The Vermont Marijuana Registry (VMR) was established by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to oversee the rules and regulations that govern the medical cannabis program. SB 76 sets out certain parameters used by the VMR for qualifying patients and caregivers to receive access to medical cannabis.
Only patients and caregivers in the registry, who have medical marijuana ID cards can purchase medical cannabis from VMR-licensed dispensaries. Patients may only obtain cannabis from their designated dispensary, and may only designate one (1) dispensary at a time. Patients may change their designated dispensary only once in a 90-day period. There are five (5) state-licensed dispensaries; a sixth may be added when the program includes more than 7,000 patients.
Patients in the registry are authorized to purchase and consume medical cannabis if they meet certain requirements for eligibility. To become a registered medical marijuana patient, a person must be diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition, and receive a recommendation by a health care professional in the course of an established healthcare professional-patient relationship.
Though Vermont legalized the drug in 2018, legislators have been battling how to tax and regulate the legal cannabis industry.
According to the Bennington Banner, the holdup may have an end in sight, reporting in September 2020 that a compromise committee worked out the kinks in the bill, specifically roadside testing, seatbelt laws, and the amount of tax. Based on the agreement, there will be a 14% excise tax on cannabis products, some of which will fund substance abuse prevention.
Until then, the Green Mountain State provides average medicinal cannabis to 5,209 registered patients, according to Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which gives them an overall C grade. Though the Washington-based organization reports Vermont’s effort to make patient access easier with curbside pickup and delivery during COVID-19, the state could ideally do much more.
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