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Where do you want to see Marijuana go in Vermont?

yardgrazer

Active member
A few weeks ago I heard on the radio that the governor was going to be having listening sessions around the state about the future of legal recreational pot in VT - as much as there are people who are more than happy to wave their freak flag high, publicly, I suspect he's bound to mostly hear from people opposed to legalization. I'm curious what direction people here would like to see it go in?

Myself, I think there's something to say for legal sales, realistically that would probably be through regulated dispensaries, at least initially. I'd love to see it go in a different direction though, we have all these nanobreweries, some with bottle rooms, something like that'd be cool. I suppose farmer's markets are too much to ask. Seriously though, there's a lot of lifestyle tourism in this state, either Vermont takes advantage of those dollars or dispensaries in MA will take it.

Biggest thing to me is liberalizing cultivation. Two mature female plants is a start, but it needs to be more than that IMO.

What do I think will actually happen? Mild liberalizing of the cultivation numbers, eventual dispensaries, but at least three years away for retail sales.
 

yardgrazer

Active member
It'll be interesting to see if legal sales in MA are any kind of motivator for VT legislators. Supposedly Republicans are interested in setting up legal sales in VT, but that may have been before the study that indicated revenues would only be enough to cover regulatory and education/enforcement expenses.
 

yardgrazer

Active member
To the moon!!!


:moon:


Heh, in all seriousness there was a piece on the Digger website today about goings on at the state house regarding looking at how taxation would work (and particularly whether there might allow a local option tax to be added, although that apparently is complicated because of how local option taxes are put in place in the first place), and how to ensure licensing of growers doesn't just benefit large commercial operations at the expense of small farms.



Long story short it sounds like they're headed toward some kind of legislation, but as always its a question of when.
 
Last thing I had heard was a 25% to 27% sales tax if that is true how and would be able to afford that. I don't think this state should treat it any different from alcohol if it continues to then is it really making steps forward
 

yardgrazer

Active member
Yep, saw the same thing. And my understanding is that's an excise tax, and doesn't include the state sales tax, or any local option taxes.

Let's just remember the VT legislature are a bunch of yahoo amateurs who couldn't write a decent law to save their lives (case in point, Act 46). The only way their goal of eradicating the black market would work is if prices are driven down enough that the higher tax is irrelevant, but how do they accomplish that if it's too expensive for locals to engage in the regulated market? Tourists can stop in Northampton on their way up from CT, NETA is in a perfect location just off the highway.
 

yardgrazer

Active member
PS: Meanwhile I saw a comment section on Digger or what have you that referenced the "generous" allowance for homegrows. Not sure how 2 fully flowering mature plants qualifies as generous (particularly because the law says 4 immature *or* 2 mature, that doesn't mean 6).

The only thing that was generous was the shitty drafting, once you set up a situation where only female plants are illegal, i.e. male plants are presumably legal, what does that do to probable cause for a search? A halfway decent defense attorney should be able to destroy any search warrant based on visual identification.
 

radioman

Active member
Yeah, I just saw on WCAX News about the Tax Proposal on Recreational Sales. Governor Phil Scott has said He will Veto any Sales Bill (But then They could override his Veto)... I think whatever they do - it will take a couple years before any retail dispensaries open. I would like to see the Federal Prohibition Law changed - so the States can do as they please...
 

yardgrazer

Active member
I'd rather see them liberalize plant #s. Here's hoping that if NY moves forward with legalization they put in cultivation #s similar to MA. Might motivate the VT legislature.


Still, as you said, things take time in Montpelier. Several sessions even for stuff that will pass once certain details get ironed out.
 

yardgrazer

Active member
Saw on VTDigger that the state's going to be holding some listening events regarding taxation of recreational marijuana. St Johnsbury, Williston, Rutland, Bennington, and one more location I think that I can't quite recall (notably, not Brattleboro or Montpelier).
 
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