Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill Delivered to Vermont Governor
Legislation to expand Vermont’s medical marijuana program – including making PTSD, Crohn’s disease and Parkinson’s disease qualifying conditions – has been delivered to Governor Phil Scott.
Senate Bill 16
was given approval by both the House of Representatives and Senate last month, and on Friday it was officially delivered to Governor Phil Scott. Governor Scott now has the option of signing it into law, allowing it to become law without his signature, or vetoing it as he recently did with a bill that would have made Vermont the ninth state to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes.
Senate Bill 16 would double the number of medical cannabis dispensaries in the state from four to eight, increase the amount of cannabis a patient can possess to three ounces, allow patients to grow cannabis at home even when they have a designated dispensary, and would expand the list of qualifying medical cannabis conditions to include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
In addition, the bill would allow dispensaries to advertise, waves the three-month patient-health care professional relationship requirement “when the patient is referred to a specialist who completes a full examination and signs the medical verification form”, allows patients and caregivers to cultivate cannabis at home even if they have a designated dispensary, allows dispensaries to become for-profit, and requires the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to “independently test marijuana-infused edible or potable products sold by a dispensary to ensure the appropriate labeling of the tetraydrocannabinol content.”
For more information on the bill, including its full text, click here.
