Phil Scott’s legalization bill goes into effect in July: here’s what Vermonters need to know

Throwback to January: Governor Phil Scott approves Act 86 and decriminalizes cannabis in Vermont. In July, adults over 21 can legally consume cannabis here in the Green Mountain State. They just can’t smoke it in public. Or in front of a child. Most disappointingly, they can’t sell or buy it like they might a six pack of beer, although indications are pointing to that changing in 2019

While Act 86 is a progressive step forward for Vermont, it doesn’t make any headway towards a legal cannabis marketplace. As Scott’s own Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman told to the Washington Post: “I think there’s a lot of missed opportunity with this method.” However, as more and more CBD and hemp shops sprout on Main Streets everywhere, there is plenty to celebrate about what Act 86 will bring this July. Here is what you need to know–and yes, we read the fine print so you didn’t have to.

New cannabis laws inside the bill:

• Stronger penalties for selling cannabis to anyone under 21 years
• Illegal to consume in a car with a child present
• Illegal to consume in public spaces
• Illegal to possess more than one ounce of cannabis and more than 5 ounces of hashish
• Legal to possess 2 mature cannabis plants
• Legal to possess 4 immature cannabis plants
• Legal to consume on private property

Wanna nerd some more? Read Act 86 as enacted here.

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