Vermont Governor Creates Commission for Legal Cannabis

The governor of Vermont is organizing a commission to study issues related to cannabis organization.

According to Vermont Public Radio, the members of this new task force will be announced over the next few days. Maine and Massachusetts are set to begin cannabis sales in less than a year, and Gov. Phil Scott is curious to get more info on how sales work and any issues that arise from legalization.

Scott vetoed legislation that would have allowed for legal possession of cannabis earlier this year. His reasoning was that he feels he needs more information and stricter highway safety standards before considering recreational sales.

“For me it’s to address some of the issues that I had initially about highway safety: How do we work with our neighbors? How do we make sure that we’re protecting the most vulnerable and our kids?” Scott told VPR.

Senator Dick Sears is a democrat in Vermont who favors legalization, and he hopes that this experiment by Scott will prove that legal cannabis is a reasonable and viable option for the state. “Should we do something like Washington State? Should we do something like Alaska? You know, various other models. That’s what I was hoping we’d look at: ‘How to,’ rather than, ‘If,’” he told VPR.

It is yet to be seen who will serve on the committee, what exactly they will study and how they will determine if legalization is a good fit. However, many feel optimistic that this is the best way to provide needed information about legalization. Although Scott has stood against legalization in the past, he seems open-minded about gathering new information to bring the industry forward. “I just think it’s imperative that we stay ahead of the curve as best we can and make sure that we prepare ourselves,” Scott explained.