Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill to make Vermont the first state to legalize recreational marijuana through the state legislature and not through a citizen ballot initiative on Monday.
Montpelier, Vermont- Vermont has just become the ninth state to approve recreational marijuana. The Green Mountain State joins 8 other states that have legalized recreational marijuana but has also managed to achieve an even rarer milestone. Vermont is the first state to legalize recreational marijuana through the legislative process and not through a ballot initiative and vote by residents.
But don’t expect Gov. Phil Scott to celebrate. In what seems like a walk across a political tightrope, Scott signed the bill privately, “with mixed emotions.”
Reports late last week suggested Scott would sign the bill over the weekend. It was unclear why he would have done so over the weekend but perhaps the governor was trying to attract as little media attention as possible. As of Monday morning, there was no word as to whether or not Scott signed the bill. Reports started to come in on Monday afternoon that Scott had indeed signed the bill.
The law will go into effect on July 1. Residents 21 and over will be able to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana flower. They will also be able to have 2 mature plants and 4 immature plants at home.
Vermont joins California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Nevada, Colorado, Maine, and Massachusetts as states that have legalized recreational marijuana.
