Cannabis in Vermont: Difference between revisions
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===Decriminalization (2013)=== |
===Decriminalization (2013)=== |
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On June 6, 2013, Governor [[Peter Shumlin]] signed HB200 which decriminalized the possession of 1 ounce or less to a civil infraction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://governor.vermont.gov/gov-shumlin-signs-marijuana-decriminalization |title=Gov. Shumlin signs bill decriminalizing possession of limited amounts of marijuana | The Official Website of the Governor of Vermont |publisher=Governor.vermont.gov |date=2013-06-06 |accessdate=2014-02-04}}</ref> |
On June 6, 2013, Governor [[Peter Shumlin]] signed HB200 which decriminalized the possession of 1 ounce or less to a civil infraction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://governor.vermont.gov/gov-shumlin-signs-marijuana-decriminalization |title=Gov. Shumlin signs bill decriminalizing possession of limited amounts of marijuana | The Official Website of the Governor of Vermont |publisher=Governor.vermont.gov |date=2013-06-06 |accessdate=2014-02-04 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610093111/http://governor.vermont.gov/gov-shumlin-signs-marijuana-decriminalization |archivedate=2013-06-10 |df= }}</ref> |
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===Legalization attempts (2014– )=== |
===Legalization attempts (2014– )=== |
Revision as of 07:03, 30 July 2017
Cannabis in Vermont as of July 2015 is legal for medical usage, and decriminalized but not legal for recreational usage.
History
Prohibition (1915)
As part of a larger trend of restricting marijuana in the early 20th century, Vermont banned the drug in 1915.[1]
Medical marijuana (2004)
On May 19, 2004, Vermont legalized medical marijuana when Governor James Douglas announced he would allow Senate Bill 76 to pass without his signature.[2] The law was further expanded in June 2007 when Senate Bill 7 passed without Governor Douglas' signature once again.[3]
Decriminalization (2013)
On June 6, 2013, Governor Peter Shumlin signed HB200 which decriminalized the possession of 1 ounce or less to a civil infraction.[4]
Legalization attempts (2014– )
Vermont has taken legalization plans into consideration as early as 2014, when Governor Shumlin stated his support for a tax-and-regulate system for cannabis.[5] A Rand Corporation study commissioned by the state in May 2014 and released in January 2015 stated that Vermont could gain $20 million and $75 million a year in tax revenue, but noted too that these sums would be vulnerable to either federal interference, or market competition if a neighboring state were also to legalize; in the latter case, Rand stated, "It is not clear that Vermont has any long-run comparative advantage in hosting the industry."[6]
In April 2015, as a form of political theatre, two state representatives facetiously introduced HB502, which would re-illegalize alcohol, giving it penalties equivalent to those for marijuana.[7]
In 2015, Senate Bill 95 and House bill 277 were submitted, proposing a regulated system of legal recreational cannabis sales, however neither bill passed during the 2015 legislative session.[8] Legalization advocates in the state government stated they plan to meet in November 2015 to plan to have new bills on Shumlin's desk during the 2016 legislative session, as Shumlin does not plan to seek re-election in 2016 and proponents seek to capitalize on his cannabis-positive stance before he leaves office.[5]
In May 2017, the Vermont House approved a bill to allow personal possession, use, and cultivation of cannabis but not commercial sales by a 74–68 vote, while the Vermont Senate in April approved a broader bill allowing cannabis commercial sale by a 21-9 vote. On May 10, 2017, a joint bill formerly concerning fentanyl was amended to legalize cannabis, and approved by the entire state legislature, for the first time in U.S. history.[9] The bill, titled S.22 "An act relating to increased penalties for possession, sale, and dispensation of fentanyl", was amended to allow possession of an ounce of cannabis under title 18 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated.[10][11] On May 24, Governor Phil Scott vetoed the bill.[12]
References
- ^ Nancy E. Marion; Willard M. Oliver (16 December 2014). Drugs in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. ABC-CLIO. pp. 726–. ISBN 978-1-61069-596-1.
- ^ "Vermont Approves Amended Medical Marijuana Measure". Norml.org. 2004-05-20. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ^ "Vermont Expands State Medi-Pot Law - Legislatures In Connecticut, Rhode Island Also Endorse Medical Cannabis". Norml.org. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ^ "Gov. Shumlin signs bill decriminalizing possession of limited amounts of marijuana | The Official Website of the Governor of Vermont". Governor.vermont.gov. 2013-06-06. Archived from the original on 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b Peter Hirschfeld. "With Shumlin's Time Short, Legalization Proponents Look To Move Quickly". vpr.net.
- ^ "The risk and revenue of legalizing pot in Vermont". Burlington Free Press. 16 January 2015.
- ^ "Vermont Reps: You Won't Give Us Pot, We'll Take Away Your Booze". Huffington Post. 2015-04-16.
- ^ Little chance seen for VT legalizing pot this year
- ^ Peter Hirschfeld (May 10, 2017), Vermont House Approves Marijuana Legalization, Bill Now Goes To Gov. Scott, Vermont Public Radio
- ^ Vermont legislature approves marijuana legalization bill, Reuters, May 10, 2017, retrieved 2017-05-14
- ^ S.22 roll call vote record, Vermont Legislature, retrieved 2017-05-14
- ^ Laurel Wamsley (May 24, 2017), "Vermont's Governor Vetoes Recreational Pot Bill", The Two-Way, NPR
Further reading
- Considering Marijuana Legalization: Insights for Vermont and Other Jurisdictions, RAND Corporation, 2015
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