Vermont Senate Approves Bill to Double Marijuana Purchase Limits and Allow Deliveries and Events
- The Vermont Senate approved Senate Bill 278, which would double retail purchase and personal possession limits for adults from one ounce to two ounces and increase concentrate limits and THC caps.
- The bill proposes creating temporary permits for marijuana events—up to 10 public and 10 private annually—and up to 15 delivery permits for certain cultivators and manufacturers, with these provisions set to sunset in 2028.
- The legislation allows the governor to enter into interstate compacts to enable marijuana commerce between states, modeled after New Jersey’s interstate commerce law.
- The bill prevents municipalities from fully banning marijuana establishments through local ordinances, with most changes set to take effect on July 1, 2026, if enacted.
The Vermont Senate has approved legislation that would make several significant changes to the state’s marijuana laws, including doubling retail purchase limits while creating new permits for marijuana deliveries and events.
If enacted, Senate Bill 278 would raise the retail transaction limit and personal possession limit for adults 21 and older from one ounce to two ounces of marijuana or its equivalent. It would also increase the possession limit for concentrates from 5 grams to 10 grams and raise the THC cap for a single package of cannabis products from 100 milligrams to 200 milligrams.
Another major component of the proposal would create temporary permits for marijuana events and deliveries. Under the bill, the Cannabis Control Board would be allowed to issue up to 10 public event permits and 10 private event permits each year, with each permit valid for a single event lasting no more than 24 hours. The bill would also allow up to 15 delivery permits annually for tier 1 cultivators and tier 1 manufacturers. Those event and delivery provisions would sunset on July 1, 2028, unless lawmakers vote to extend them.
In addition, the proposal would allow the governor to enter into a regional or interstate compact designed to enable interstate commerce, which would honor each state’s laws and regulations. The provision is based on New Jersey’s interstate commerce law.
The legislation also includes language barring municipalities from using local ordinances or bylaws to fully prohibit marijuana establishments.
Most of the bill’s provisions would take effect July 1, 2026, if it is ultimately enacted into law.