Vermont’s marijuana laws will take a significant step in the right direction on Monday, July 1st, when House Bill 200 goes into effect. HB 200 decriminalizes the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, and up to 5 grams of hash, making it a simple ticket, rather than a misdemeanor which carries with it the possibility of months in jail.

The success of this proposal – signed by the governor on June 6th – comes with majority support from the state’s residents; polling shows that 61% of those in the state support decriminalizing cannabis. The state’s attorney general also supports such a move, even supporting the decriminalization of private cultivation.

HB 200 taking effect on Monday comes just days after the state’s first two medical cannabis dispensaries opened – with a 3rd on the way. Vermont joins 17 other states which have removed the possibility of jail time for the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and is one of the first to do so for hash.

– TheJointBlog