[T]his week, a bill to legalize the recreational use of marijuana cleared the Vermont Senate. Gov. Phil Scott has indicated that he’ll sign it into law, which would make Vermont the first state to legalize recreational marijuana through legislation rather than by voter initiative.
Lawmakers took up H.511 on the first day of the 2018 session. But the bill’s path to the governor’s desk has been a long one.
A proposal to create a taxed and regulated retail marijuana market stalled in the last session, resulting in the compromise bill to legalize possession of small amounts of cannabis. The legislation does not open the door to legalization of retail sales of the drug.
Over the past two weeks, familiar debates on the merits of legalization have resurfaced. Now, questions remain about whether the newly passed legislation will be the first step toward a legalized retail market — or whether the state’s loosening of marijuana laws ends here.
On this week’s podcast, VTDigger’s Alan Keays talks about the path to legalization in Vermont.
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