Recreational Marijuana Is Now Legal in Vermont

With Act 86 going into effect today, Vermont is officially the ninth state to legalize marijuana, and it is the first state to do so through its state legislature.

Gov. Phil Scott signed H.511 (Act 86) into law in January 2018, making it legal for adults 21 and over to possess and cultivate marijuana. The allows adults 21 and older to legally possess one ounce of marijuana and grow six plants (two mature and four immature) in their home.

With the controversy surrounding legal marijuana, the law does not come without mixed feelings. When Gov. Scott signed the bill earlier this year, he did so with “mixed emotions.”

In a statement written on January 22, 2018, Gov Scott said, “Today, with mixed emotions, I have signed H. 511. … I personally believe that what adults do behind closed doors and on private property is their choice, so long as it does not negatively impact the health and safety of others, especially children.”

While Vermont has decriminalized personal use of marijuana, there are still places where smoking marijuana is not allowed, such as in a car, public places, and Lake Champlain, which is considered federal waters under federal rule. Citizens are also not allowed to sell marijuana as there is no legal commercial market for it.