Vermont State Capitol Building.
A Vermont bill to double the legal limit for purchasing an possessing cannabis has advanced through the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs, but the latest version removes a provision that would have allowed marijuana deliveries.
Senate Bill 278 was placed on the House Action Calendar on Tuesday as favorable with amendment before being referred to the House Committee on Appropriations under Rule 35(a). The committee scheduled a walkthrough and possible vote for this afternoon.
The bill, sponsored by State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D), has already passed the full Senate. If approved by the House in amended form, it would need to return to the Senate for concurrence before it could be sent to Governor Phil Scott.
Under the latest House amendment, the proposal would still raise the retail transaction limit for adults 21 and older from one ounce to two ounces of marijuana or its equivalent. It would also increase the state’s personal possession limit from one ounce to two ounces and raise the legal hashish limit from five grams to 10 grams.
The measure would also keep language raising the THC cap for a single package of marijuana products from 100 milligrams to 200 milligrams.
One of the biggest changes from the Senate-approved version is the removal of delivery authorizations. The earlier version would have allowed the Cannabis Control Board to issue up to 15 delivery authorizations annually for tier 1 cultivators and tier 1 manufacturers. That section is marked as deleted in the latest House amendment.
The event program also remains in the bill, but in a narrower form. Instead of allowing up to 10 public event authorizations and 10 private event authorizations annually, the House version would cap the program at five public events and five private events each year. Each authorization would be valid for a single event lasting no more than 24 hours at an access-controlled location.
Events could not be held at locations where alcohol is sold or furnished for on-site consumption. Those approved for the program would be limited to selling registered adult-use marijuana and marijuana products, and the Cannabis Control Board would be required to adopt procedures for applications, security requirements, selection criteria and event-site restrictions.
In addition, the proposal would bar municipalities from adopting ordinances or bylaws that completely prohibit marijuana establishments, or regulating them in a way that has the same effect.
Most provisions would take effect July 1, 2026, if enacted. The event program would be repealed July 1, 2028, unless lawmakers extend it.
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