The post Governor of Vermont Expects To Sign Weed Legalization Bill By Monday appeared first on High Times.
Last week, lawmakers in the state of Vermont passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana. They did this entirely through state legislature, making history by becoming the first state to pass such a bill without a vote from the state’s residents. And now, a week later, the governor of Vermont expects to sign weed legalization bill by Monday.
The State of Weed in the State of Vermont
Believe it or not, it has only been but a mere two weeks since President Trump’s right-hand man Attorney General Jeff Sessions made “good” on his threats to crack down on states with legal cannabis. Those two weeks ago, Sessions rescinded a little Obama-era piece of legislation called the Cole Memo. Basically, the Cole Memo was put in place to prevent the federal government from interfering in state’s rights. Specifically, those regarding the decriminalization or full-out legalization of cannabis.
Since then, states and lawmakers have been rallying to fight this rescission. As it turns out, members of both major political parties were sufficiently angry with Sessions over this decision. In Vermont, state lawmakers took almost immediate direct action. Last week, the Green Mountain State’s Senate passed a bill to legalize recreational cannabis. Timing aside, this social and political maneuver was particularly gutsy because it required each member of the legislation to take a definitive stance on the matter. Votes like this are public record, so the lawmakers involved were well aware of the political risks involved.
Another reason this vote was so risky is that the governor of Vermont, Phil Scott, vetoed a legalization bill this past May. He cited the need for