Vermont Legislature Approves Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill
A bill to expand Vermont’s medical marijuana program, including doubling the number of dispensaries and expanding the list of qualifying conditions, has been passed by Vermont’s Legislature.
Senate Bill 16 was passed by the House of Representatives today with an 130 to 16 vote; the proposal has already been passed by the Senate, meaning it will soon be sent to Governor Phil Scott for consideration.
The proposed law would double the number of medical cannabis dispensaries in the state from four to eight. It would also 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, increase the amount of cannabis patients can possess to three ounces, 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.”