The Green Mountain State is living up to its name today: Vermont is just a governor’s signature away from becoming the first state to legalize recreational marijuana by legislation, rather than voter referendum.
It’s kind of a big deal in what has already been a pretty exciting month for cannabis. First, California’s recreational legalization kicked in January 1! The meanest Elf Stepdad ever, aka Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Cole Memo and other policies designed to deprioritize enforcement of federal marijuana laws on January 4! That same day, bipartisan voices united to say “Nope.”
And Vermont’s no different:
“Vermont in particular doesn’t care very much what the attorney general thinks,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project.
The Vermont bill would decriminalize possession, and go into effect in July. As Burlington’s CBS affiliate reports, it doesn’t yet address sales and taxation, which is currently being studied by a special commission.
If the bill were to become come law here's what it would look like: Vermonters over the age of 21 would be allowed to possess up to one ounce of pot. They could also have two mature plants and four immature plants. Only one person can cultivate plants per dwelling and landlords can refuse to allow growing. It also includes a change demanded by Governor Phil Scott -- a new misdemeanor crime for providing anyone under 21 with marijuana.
This is huge, folks. HUGE.
As the LA Times puts it:
The move by lawmakers shows how far the legalization movement has come. Ballot measures allow lawmakers to hide their own opinions on the issue. Bills force them to take a public stance and assume the political risks.
Admittedly, the political risks are ever-shrinking: in October, a Gallup poll found 64% of Americans in support of legalization. It’s getting to the point where it’s riskier to oppose it. All the same, it’s refreshing to see elected officials reflect their constituents once in awhile, isn’t it?
Long-time marijuana activist Mason Tvert told the LA Times that this is a pivotal moment in the fight against cannabis prohibition.
“States are not sitting back and waiting for the federal government to change laws. Vermont could very well be the first state in history to legalize through the legislature, but not the last to do it this year,” Tvert said.
Further movement on a marketplace in Vermont is unlikely to happen until 2019, but luckily for Vermontonians, all but one state in New England has some sort of legalization on the books. And even New Hampshire is trying–they passed a recreational bill Tuesday, despite Governor Chris Sununu’s vocal opposition to it.