Vermont has one of the most progressive stances in the U.S., having legalized medical cannabis over a decade ago and legalizing adult use cannabis in 2018.
CBD from Hemp Oil in Vermont
Hemp CBD oil is federally legal in the U.S. Individual state laws, however, are dynamic and some states have and will enact their own laws regulating hemp-derived CBD.
Medical Cannabis in Vermont
Vermont first legalized medical cannabis on May 26, 2004, and since then two amendments have been made to further clarify the cannabis rights of patients. Under the law, registered patients may possess up to 2 ounces of usable cannabis, as well as 2 mature plants and 7 immature plants.
In an effort to deal with the nation’s opioid epidemic, in July 2016 Gov. Peter Shumlin signed Senate Bill 14 to expand the state’s medical cannabis program to those with glaucoma, chronic pain and patients under hospice care.
As of now, medical cannabis is approved for the following conditions in Vermont:
- Cancer
- HIV / AIDS
- Glaucoma
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Patients in Hospice Care
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Diseases or conditions that produce the following symptoms:
- Cachexia
- Seizures
- Severe or Chronic Pain
- Severe Nausea
You can find the Vermont Marijuana Registry (VMR) website here.
Recreational Cannabis in Vermont
Vermont became the ninth U.S. state to legalize adult use cannabis after Gov. Phil Scott signed into law H.511 on January 23, 2018. It is the first and only state so far to legalize adult use cannabis through legislature rather than a voter ballot initiative.
Vermont’s marijuana law legalizes the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis and the cultivation of up to 2 mature cannabis plants and 4 immature plants for adults at least 21 years of age. It does not set up a system to tax and regulation the production and sale of any cannabis products, although that may come later.
Cultivation of Cannabis in Vermont
Under Vermont’s adult use cannabis law, adults ages 21 and older can grow up to 2 mature cannabis plants and 4 immature plants. Qualified medical cannabis patients are legally allowed to grow up to 2 mature plants and 7 immature plants.
Vermont has also legalized the growing of industrial hemp. Senate Bill 157, passed by lawmakers in 2013, allows qualified growers to become licensed to grow hemp as an agricultural crop for research purposes.
Resources:
- http://agriculture.vermont.gov/plant_pest/plant_weed/hemp/faqs
- http://medicalCannabis.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881#Vermont
- https://www.mpp.org/states/vermont/
- http://norml.org/laws/item/vermont-penalties-2
