Vermont Governor Vetoes Legalization Bill

Vermont advocates’ hopes of becoming the first state in the nation to legalize cannabis through legislation only were met with disappointment today. Gov. Phil Scott announced that he will be vetoing a bill that would have made Vermont the ninth state to legalize recreational cannabis. The bill would have legalized cannabis for residents 21 or older beginning in July 2018.

Resolution S. 22 passed in Vermont’s legislature on May 11 and was delivered to the governor on May 18. After deliberating on the bill, and after much speculation, the governor ultimately decided not to approve the bill. “We must get this right,” Scott told the Associated Press. “I think we need to move a little bit slower.” If the governor would have ignored the bill, it would have automatically became law. The governor added that he is willing to work with legislature to reach some kind of compromise.

The bill would have legalized possession of one ounce of cannabis and allowed cultivation of two mature plants and four immature plants. It would have established a commission to study and recommend a regulated cannabis market.

According to research from the Vermont Department of Health, the state has the second-highest rate of cannabis consumption in the country among teens and young adults ages 12 to 25, and an overall high rate of cannabis consumption.

Meanwhile, Vermont’s neighbors Massachusetts and Maine are speedily moving forward with legalization and retail stores could be open within a year. Vermont’s territory is less than 10,000 square miles and residents live a short distance from Massachusetts and Maine and could reasonably purchase cannabis across state lines. Vermont doesn’t possess the legal mechanism to legalize cannabis through a citizen referendum, as other states have done.

The governor has sent the bill back to the state’s legislature for revision. According to The Washington Post, changes could possibly be made during a special session this summer.