Access to the state's medical cannabis program is expanding under a bill that became law earlier this week without Gov. Phil Scott's signature.
For the past decade, Vermont's medical program has allowed patients to legally use cannabis — with a doctor's approval — for various serious health conditions.
But the creation of the retail marketplace in 2022 has significantly reduced sales at the medical dispensaries, and now only a handful remain open.
The new law will allow an existing retail store to qualify for a license to sell specifically to medical patients, who can access higher-potency products without a sales tax.
James Pepper, chair of Vermont's Cannabis Control Board, supports the change.
"We actually don't need to preserve the existing medical dispensary paradigm the way it was conceived back in 2011," Pepper said. "However, patients still need the benefits of a medical program."
He said patients in some areas have to make long trips to reach a dispensary licensed to sell medical products.
"If you live in the Northeast Kingdom, you're driving 2, 2.5 hours round trip to South Burlington is your closest option," he said. "You know already that's bad."
Scott says he's concerned that some of the higher potency medical products might find their way into the retail market, and he urged lawmakers to address these concerns next year.
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