Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor

Vermont became the first state to legalize cannabis through its legislature in January, but it looks like commercial sales won’t be starting any time soon. As the law stands, residents can grow their own cannabis and possess cannabis legally, but there are no regulations existing that would allow businesses to sell cannabis. A bill that would have created these kinds of regulations was recently shelved indefinitely, but cannabis advocates in the state are hopeful regulation will come soon enough.

“While I do believe that there is substantial and growing support for a system of Taxed and Regulated (T&R) sales to adults in the House—and certainly in the Senate, which has already passed T&R legislation on a number of occasions—I think that representatives were reluctant to delve into the issue this late in the legislative session,” Laura Subin, director of Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, told Cannabis News Box.

“This is particularly true given that the T&R legislation would almost certainly have faced a gubernatorial veto if it were to have passed during this year’s session,” she said. “I am very optimistic that a T&R bill will be considered and approved by legislators next year.”

Subin said she believes the legalization of possessing and growing cannabis was significant, but the state needs to legalize commercial sales so people who don’t want to grow or are not allowed to by their landlord can have access to cannabis. She also believes it’s important that Vermont residents be able to know the quality and potency of the cannabis they consume, which would be possible through commercial sale regulation.

“Finally, it should remain at the forefront of the conversation that marijuana prohibition and the way it has been enforced has been a human and civil rights abomination—particularly for in poor communities of color,” she said. “Further reforms are required in order to achieve greater parity between marijuana policies and policies regarding other more dangerous substances like alcohol and tobacco.”

Subin believes political candidates who support regulation of commercial sales will benefit in the polls this year and likely push efforts forward. She thinks Vermont residents have seen that legalization isn’t causing problems, and they also see how states have benefitted from taxing cannabis revenues. Vermont has already made cannabis history, but it looks like there’s still some progress to be made in the state.