Automatic expungement bill signed; cannabis prohibition will soon be history in Vermont, which becomes the 11th state to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis On October 7, 2020, Gov. Phil Scott announced that he will allow S. 54, the bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis sales, to become law without his signature. This means we can all finally breathe a sigh of relief and begin to celebrate the end of cannabis prohibition in Vermont! Although much work remains before Vermont can establish…

Gov. Phil Scott said this week that he remains undecided — please email or call him today! Yesterday, the bill to legalize and regulate cannabis sales landed on the desk of Gov. Phil Scott. He will have until Wednesday to sign or veto it — if he takes no action, it will become law without his signature. Please call or email Gov. Scott today and urge him to sign S. 54! During a debate on Wednesday evening, Gov. Scott made this alarming statement: “In terms of the pot bill, I haven’t made up my…

The bill to legalize retail sales and the bill to automatically expunge records for past offenses are both advancing to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott — please call him today and encourage him to sign them into law! The bill to legalize, regulate, and tax adult-use cannabis sales cleared its final legislative hurdle this morning when the Senate approved it in a final vote of 23-6. The Senate also granted final approval to the bill that would automatically expunge records for past low-level cannabis…

The Senate is expected to send S. 54 to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott next week — please call him today and encourage him to sign it! The bill to legalize, regulate, and tax adult-use cannabis sales cleared yet another hurdle today when the House approved it in a final vote of 92-56. The Senate is expected to pass S. 54 next week, after which it will proceed to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott. Please take a moment to call Gov. Phil Scott at 802-828-3333 and encourage him to sign it when it reaches his…

House and Senate negotiators agreed to a compromise yesterday evening — urge your lawmakers to support S. 54 in a final vote, then call Gov. Phil Scott and ask him to sign it! After many years of hard work by legislators and advocates, the House and Senate have finally reached an agreement on the details of a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis sales. Please write your representatives and senators and urge them to support S. 54 in a final vote! Then, call Gov. Phil Scott and encourage him to…

Legislators are also nearing final agreement on the bill to legalize and regulate sales — ask your legislators to support S. 54, then call Gov. Phil Scott and ask that he sign both bills into law! The Vermont House of Representatives took a huge step forward today when it voted to approve S. 234, a bill that will automatically expunge all criminal records for past cannabis possession offenses. The bill also decriminalizes possession of cannabis in amounts that modestly exceed the legal limit, which…

The legislature is resuming its work on the bill to legalize and regulate cannabis sales — write your state representatives to follow up on their votes from earlier this year and remind them of S. 54’s importance to Vermont’s economic recovery! Tomorrow, the conference committee that has been formed to work out a final version of Vermont’s cannabis regulation bill will hold its first meeting! S. 54, which already passed the House (90-54) and the Senate (23-5), has been awaiting action from this…

The legislature is planning to resume its work soon — email your elected officials now and urge them to make passage of S. 54 a top priority! Vermont’s economy has been crippled in recent months by COVID-19. It is unfortunate that adult-use cannabis businesses were not already operating before the pandemic arrived, because they could have provided an important source of jobs and tax revenue during the crisis. Fortunately, the legislature will have an opportunity to finish its work and pass a final…

Attend your town meeting next week and speak to your representatives about their votes on S. 54! Yesterday, in a historic 90-54 vote, the Vermont House approved the bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis sales. S. 54 passed in a final voice vote today, and it will now return to the Senate. Next, we expect the Senate will work with the House to resolve differences before sending a final version of the bill to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk. Since the House did not pass S. 54 by a veto-proof majority,…

Bill passes final committee — urge your representatives to vote in favor. Today, Vermont’s House Appropriations Committee approved S. 54 in a 6-5 vote. The bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis sales appears likely to receive a vote in the full House later this week. Please contact your representatives now and ask for their support! The House has amended the bill, including by changing the tax rate to a flat 20% (in the Senate’s version, it’s 16% plus a 2% local option tax), but none of…