German Lopez, writing for Vox:
Vermont is legalizing marijuana sales.
Gov. Phil Scott (R) on Wednesday announced he’ll allow a marijuana sales legalization bill passed by the legislature to take effect. Vermont previously legalized marijuana possession and growing. The latest bill allows and builds a commercialized, tax-and-regulate system, similar to other legalization states’.
The legislation is set to take effect this month, but state regulators will have until October 2022 to start issuing licenses for retailers — meaning legal sales could still be as much as two years away.
Separately, Scott signed another bill into law that seeks to automate the expungement process for past marijuana convictions, freeing people from their criminal records for marijuana. People who get expungements will receive a notification by mail.
The governor’s decision makes Vermont the 11th state to legalize marijuana sales for recreational purposes. A decade ago, zero states had done so. Several other states, including New Jersey and Arizona, will vote on marijuana legalization this November.
Kudos to Vermont.