Vermont was one of the first US states to ban the cultivation of cannabis more than one hundred years ago in 1915. Cannabis, including hemp and marijuana, remained illegal in the state up until Vermont’s medical cannabis program went into effect in 2004. Vermont medical marijuana laws were further expanded in June 2007.

Then in 2013 Vermont lawmakers decriminalized the possession of 1 ounce or less of cannabis making it a civil infraction rather than a crime. Efforts to legalize cannabis began the following year. 

Interestingly, In April 2015, to demonstrate the absurdity of cannabis prohibition two Vermont state representatives introduced a bill to make alcohol illegal, setting the penalty for possession similar to the penalties associated with marijuana possession. However, efforts to legalize cannabis had limited success until 2018. 

In May 2017, the Vermont House approved a bill to allow personal possession, use, and cultivation of cannabis. Then in April, the Vermont Senate approved a broader bill allowing cannabis commercial sale. The measure was approved making it the first time in US history that marijuana was made legal by an act of the legislature. The bill essentially removed the citation but retained the one-ounce limit. However, on May 24, Governor Phil Scott vetoed the bill. 

In January 2018, lawmakers passed an amended version of the 2017 bill that not only legalized the possession of one ounce of cannabis but also permitted individuals to cultivate two plants. The revised bill was signed by the governor 12 days later and took effect on July 1, 2018.

Missing from the bill were provisions for the creation of a commercial market for cannabis. However, work is being done to develop a plan to regulate and tax the sale of marijuana. 

Hemp cultivation was legalized as a pilot program in 2017. The program conformed to the 2014 federal farm bill which specified that hemp should only be grown for research purposes. However, a new farm bill signed in 2018 legalized the commercial production of hemp nationwide. New laws are being drafted to conform to the 2018 measures and are expected to be approved sometime in 2021. 

Now that we understand the difference between hemp and marijuana and how the laws that apply to each crop have evolved, let’s get into the details of some of the more frequently asked questions related to Vermont hemp and CBD laws.