Vermont is also legalizing
Cannabis is now legal for recreational consumption in the state.
Frank M. StockerSeptember 21, 2026
Vermont is the eleventh state to legalize recreational marijuana sales. Republican Governor Phil Scott announced Wednesday that he would enact a bill to establish a regulated cannabis market without his signature. State lawmakers approved the move, Senate Bill 54, after a bicameral committee reached agreement on sticking points in the legislation last month. "This has been a top priority for a majority in the legislature for the last four years, but its work is still ongoing. You must bring justice to this new policy and prevent its priority from becoming a public health issue for generations today and tomorrow "announced Scott in a statement on Wednesday. "For these reasons, I allow this bill to become law without my signature. Although p. 54 contains provisions requested by Scott, including the right of local governments to authorize commercial cannabis activities in their jurisdictions and fund education and drug prevention programs, the governor urged lawmakers to describe what he called "flaws in the law." "to remedy the defects described. "Your work is not done yet," he said. "Legislators must strengthen education and prevention - including banning marketing that is in any way appealing to our children - otherwise they knowingly fail to learn the lessons of the tobacco and alcohol-induced public health epidemic. Marijuana legalized in 2018 Vermont legalized adult personal possession and cultivation of cannabis in 2018, but lawmakers have failed to provide a framework for regulating and taxing the commercial sale of cannabis. On p. 54 the cultivation, production and sale of marijuana for adult use is regulated, with a consumption tax of 14% being levied on retail sales in addition to the state sales tax. "Ten of the eleven states that have legalized adult marijuana possession also wisely regulated the retail cannabis market; Vermont has been the only exception to date," said Carly Wolf, state policy director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws a press release. Until now, only Illinois had legalized the retail sale of cannabis to adults through state legislature. The other nine states that have approved a regulated marijuana market did all of this at the ballot box by passing voter initiatives. "The importance of Vermont's decision to legalize and regulate the sale of cannabis, especially in a state with a Republican governor and through the legislative process, cannot be overestimated," said Steven Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project. "Poll after poll shows that Republicans support the legalization of cannabis, and more and more we see elected Republicans publicly taking the same stance, standing up for their constituents and their ideological base. "The fact that Vermont has achieved this through the legislative process is also incredibly important because it shows that a representative, Democratic government is up to the challenge and proving to be accommodating to the average person," Hawkins continued. "This is a historic move that reinforces the dynamism of our movement and underlines its breadth and depth, and importantly, it comes at a time when other state legislatures are poised to give serious thought to legalization in the very near future. Senate bill 54 is due to come into force on October 1 of this year. Licensed stores are expected to be open by 2022, allowing retail sales of regulated cannabis.
