Cannabis Sales in Vermont Hit Record High in February

heady vermont report Sales for the month were $6,477,957, representing a “slight uptick in sales growth of approximately 6.9% from January to February.”

Outlet has details About February numbers:

“The state-mandated 14% cannabis excise tax, which must be applied to all adult-use cannabis purchases at retail, brought in $906,914 in February. An additional 6% state sales tax generated an additional $388,677.To date, Vermont cannabis retailers have sold $24,404,171 worth of cannabis products and collected $3,416,584 in sales tax. That’s because the state’s adult market got off to a modest start last fall, with only three Vermont dispensaries licensed and open on October 1. Retail outlets have grown to nearly 50. As of last week’s monthly meeting, there are currently 52 Vermont dispensaries licensed.”

Vermont’s adult-use cannabis market kicked off last October after state lawmakers passed a law establishing regulations for legal cannabis sales in 2020.

The state effectively legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, and lawmakers ended a ban on personal possession and cultivation, but the action failed to establish a market framework.

The state’s Republican Governor, Phil Scott, signed both of these bills.

“This new bill requires cities and towns to approve these businesses before retail stores open. Dedicates 30% of excise taxes (up to $10 million annually) to education and prevention efforts, and cannabis excise and use taxes to fund grant programs to expand after-school and summer learning programs “Furthermore, the 2021 budget builds on the successful model in Iceland to promote drug use prevention and academic and social initiatives.” It contains the language I proposed for transitioning to a universal after-school network focused on improving educational outcomes.”

In a statement at the time, Scott also called on lawmakers to keep improving the law.

“Their work is not done,” he added. “Congress should step up education and prevention, including banning marketing that appeals in any way to children, otherwise children will be exposed to tobacco and alcohol-induced public health. Willingly failing to learn the lessons of the hygiene epidemic.”

“This has been a top priority for the majority of Congress for four years, but their work is not done. We have to make sure it doesn’t become a generational public health issue.For these reasons, I will allow this bill to pass without my signature,” Scott continued.

After the first legal stores opened in the fall, the state said stores sold $2.6 million worth of cannabis products in October.

Vermont lawmakers continue to push for reform of the state’s drug laws. In March, they introduced several different bills to legalize hallucinogens and other drugs such as mushrooms.

One of the bills introduced would decriminalize all drugs.

The bill states, “This bill proposes to change the penalty for possession of drugs for personal use from a misdemeanor or low-level felony to a civil offense with a $50.00 fine. People charged with crimes can avoid paying fines by agreeing to participate in screening for substance use disorder treatment and related services.The bill also prevents the criminalization of personal drug use. Establish a Drug Use Standards Advisory Committee for the purpose of determining benchmark personal-use doses and benchmark personal-use supplies of controlled substances, with the aim of reducing and reducing regulation below the baseline personal-use supplies. Individuals previously arrested or convicted of drug possession are also subject to immediate criminal record sealing.Additionally, to prevent overdoses, the bill would determine the chemical composition of substances and identify chemical contaminants. It would also authorize the operation of drug-checking programs that allow individuals to obtain an analysis of previously obtained controlled substances for the purpose of identifying It establishes a pilot project for