Legislation seeking to expand access to Vermont’s medical marijuana program passed the House on Tuesday by a vote of 130 to 16 – setting the stage for a committee hearing later this week.
Elected officials in both the House and Senate are anxious for their constituents to have greater access to the state’s MMJ program – unfortunately, there remains a few points of contention.
Sponsored by Sen. Dick Sears Jr. (D), the Senate’s version of S.16 initially passed on February 2, with no opposition, and encouraged greater access to the state program by doubling the number of legal collectives, according to VTDiggers.
“The bill doubles the number of dispensary licenses available in the state from four to eight. When taking testimony on the bill, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard that patients who live in some parts of the state, such as Bennington County or the Northeast Kingdom, face long journeys to reach the nearest dispensary.”
Though lawmakers in both chambers support the expansion of the state’s list of qualifying conditions to include Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the House is seeking additional modifications – mandating patients suffering from PTSD participate in “some form of mental health counseling” to qualify for Vermont’s medical marijuana program.
Up for debate, the House version of S.16 would allow the existing four licensees to open no more than three additional dispensaries, capping the total number of legal dispensaries at 12. Conversely, the Senate’s version of the bill would cultivate four new dispensary licenses – creating a total of eight medical marijuana dispensaries throughout Vermont.
One last noteworthy change, the passage of S.16 in its current form would permit VT’s patients to purchase no more than two ounces of medicine while simultaneously cultivating their own supply at home. Currently, Vermont’s medical marijuana patients who choose to cultivate their own medicine are prohibited from purchasing additional meds at their local dispensary.
Additional Vermont marijuana news
On Tuesday evening, the state House of Representatives passed legislation that could make the possession and cultivation of personal amounts of marijuana legal for adults 21 and over.
Good luck Vermont, finger crossed.
credit:marijuana.com
