A bill that would legalize marijuana in Vermont is moving quickly in the state legislature. Sponsored by Senators Jeanette White (D) and Joe Benning (R), S.241 passed the Senate by a 18-12 margin on Feb. 25. If passed by the House and signed by Gov. Pete Shumlin (he's said he would), cannabis would be available commercially in the Green State by 2018.
Here are highlights of the bill:
• Possession of up to one ounce of flowers, five grams of hash and paraphernaila are legal.
• A total of 30 retail stores throughout the state can open. A nonrefundable fee of $15,000 ois the cost of an application. Licensees must be reside in Vermont.
• Vermont residents can purchase up to a half-ounce at one time; out-of-staters can purchase up to one-quarter ounce.
• A total of of 27 cultivation licenses (of varying sizes) and five testing lab licenses will be granted. Licensees must be reside in Vermont.
• Commercial cultivation will be capped at 10,000 square feet.
• People who committed cannabis crimes in the past will have their records expunged.
On the negative side:
• Retail sales will be taxed at a rate of 25% (except in the case of dispensary sales to patients).
• Home growing is not allowed.
• Edibles and concentrates cannot be manufactured or sold at stores.
• Current DUI laws will also pertain to marijuana.
• Smoking in public can result in a summons ($100 fine for first offense).
• Municipalities can ban retail sales.
Read the 41-page bill here.
Gov. Shumlin vociferously supports the bill. In an article posted at his office's blog, he writes:
'Vermont has a clear choice. As states nationwide and those close to home continue working to enact smarter policies around marijuana, we can be the first state to do it right. We can lift the veil of prohibition that’s prevented us from taking rational steps to address all the issues that come with marijuana use that exist right now, given that one in eight Vermonters uses the substance on a monthly basis. Or we can choose to delay making the right policy choice, continuing to bury our heads in the sand and hope that a policy that has failed for decades will all of the sudden start working.'
"It has a shot," NORML's political director Danielle Keane tells CelebStoner. "The votes should be there in both chambers. Senate President John Campbell won't support it, but he doesn't seem to want to block it either."
Four states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana via ballot iniitiatives since 2012.
