The Vermont Medical Marijuana program came into effect in the year 2004 and stipulates that qualifying patients will have no legal repercussions for the possession, consumption and cultivation of Marijuana. Only patients diagnosed with debilitating conditions can be granted a marijuana license.
There are many diseases and conditions that qualify a person to be eligible for the Vermont Medical Marijuana program. These conditions and illnesses include; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Glaucoma, Muscle Disorders like MS, Eating disorders, Anxiety disorders and much more. In order to obtain the Medical Marijuana card it is imperative that a patient receives a written recommendation from a registered doctor saying that Marijuana is an adequate treatment for thus said disease.
Once the patient has obtained the recommendation he/she must pay an annual fee to become a part of the system. This fee is paid in the Department of Health as Vermont only issues these cards under the consent of the State. With this card the patient will have access to Marijuana dispensaries, cultivation and consumption of Marijuana. Upon arriving at the dispensary the patient will usually need to be verified to be an actual Medical Marijuana patient. This is normally done by a security guard. Once the patient has been verified he/she may walk into the dispensary and observe the medicine. Generally the marijuana is behind glass cases or in catalogues. Generally there are multiple methods for ingestion whether it is the raw material, baked goods, vapour, extract and more. The dispensary operator will assist the patient in choosing the best strain for his/her condition. After paying the patient can exit the dispensary with his/her medicine.
The Vermont Medical Marijuana program underwent an amendment and currently allows patients to have two mature plants and seven plants in the vegetative phase. Per average a plant can produce anywhere between 1-3 ounces on an indoor grow environment. When growing outdoor the yield generally becomes more.
Vermont allows up to four state licensed Medical Marijuana dispensaries to provide patients with marijuana. The limit of how many patients each dispensary may attend comes out to 1000. Caregivers must be over twenty one years of age and also must undergo a registration process. The primary responsibilities of a caregiver are to supply a patient and help administer marijuana to his/her patients.
The Vermont Medical Marijuana program ensures that patients have safe access to much needed medication. While it is still illegal on a Federal level, the Medical Marijuana programs all across the country have supplied socially responsible solution towards cannabis consumption for patients. Before these systems were in place, patients were forced to obtain their medicine in the black market, enriching criminal organizations. Now all the proceeds of Marijuana within the state of Vermont go directly back to the people of Vermont. As we can see that by legalizing Marijuana the world will not fall apart, in fact the exact opposite is true. In those states that did legalize Marijuana we can only see positive social impact occur, and the money generated by taxing Marijuana is strengthening the local economy.