How do I get a Registry Identification card in Vermont?

You must be 18 years or older, otherwise you need your parents (or guardian) to accompany you.  You must have a debilitating condition confirmed by a health care professional. A registered patient must be a resident of VT. You’ll need to fill out the Registered Patient Application, Health Care Professional Verification Form, include an electronic photograph, and a $50 fee. After this, you may have to wait about 30 days before receiving your card in the mail.

Who Qualifies for Medical Marijuana in Vermont?

Only people with debilitating medical conditions qualify in VT. The list of qualifying conditions includes:

• Any patient receiving hospice care
• Cachexia
• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Seizures
• Severe or chronic pain
• Severe nausea

Can Qualifying Conditions Be Added?

Yes, the VT Criminal Information Center can choose to expand the list of qualifying conditions.

Medical Marijuana Doctors in Vermont

Any Health Care Professional can register a patient with the state’s medical marijuana program. Accepted Health Care Professional types include:

• Physician (M.D. or D.O.)
• Physician Assistant (P.A. or PA-C)
• VT Naturopathic Physician (N.D.)
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

Information regarding health care professionals is confidential. So you will have to find out on your own which doctors will or won’t complete a Health Care Professional Verification Form for you.

Dispensaries In Vermont

The state laws only allow for four dispensaries to be operational at a time. VT is entirely functional with a dispensary in Burlington, Brandon, Brattleboro, and Montpelier.

Marijuana Products Available in Vermont Dispensaries

VT patients will have access to marijuana in the following forms:

• Flower
• Edibles
• Tintures
• CO2 extracts

Consumption of Medical Marijuana

You may not use marijuana in public, while operating a motor vehicle, in a workplace, or while operating heavy machinery.

Protection Against Discrimination

According to the VT Crime Information Center, the medical marijuana legislation in VT “exempts all criminal penalties for the use of marijuana to alleviate the symptoms or effects of a debilitating medical condition.” However, you cannot use marijuana in the workplace and employers are not required to accommodate employees working under the influence.

The Future of VT’s Medical Marijuana Program

Vermont already has all four of its dispensaries opened. The program may see an expanded list of qualifying conditions for more research on marijuana surfaces.

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“I’m a normal, non psychotic guy,” said Bruce Kimball of Essex. “I consider myself a law-abiding citizen, but my use of pot over the years had made me an outlaw. Do I like that? No. … What i would like is the option to purchase pot from a safe, regulated, well-maintained dispensary.”
He was one of several people testifying at the hearing who sought to emphasize the normalcy of their lives despite using marijuana,

The House Judiciary and Government Operations committees heard testimony on a Senate-passed bill to legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for people 21 and older. Sign-up sheets for those testifying showd 34 favored legalization, 19 is opposed to it and 5 were undecided. The bill also envisions a system of licensed growers and retailers.

Some of those who opposed the bill claimed they were not opposed to the legalization but concerned that it would keep homegrown marijuana illegal and set up fees and other requirements that would favor big business over small farmers and entrepreneurs.

Emly Amanna, who operates a small farm in the southern Vermont town of Athens, said she and other small farmers had hoped marijuana would be an good income to help support marginal operations. However, Senate Bill 241, as it’s currently written, would “take a multi-million-dollar industry out of the hands of good, hardworking Vermonters,” she said, and put it in the hands of a “corporatized, monopolized industry.”

Among other opponents, a doctor and a psychotherapist testified about the dangers of marijuana to brain development in young people, and studies linking it to the onset of mental illness.

Catherine Antley, a Burlington physical, told the committee that Colorado has seen an 8% increase in the number of teenagers (12 – to 17 year old) using marijuana in the first year after that state legalized pot. She also said that one study found that those people who begin using the drug heavily in adolescence dropped an average 8% in performance on IQ tests by the time they became adults.

Some of those testifying said marijuana legalization could help dampen the demand for heroin and other opiods, which President Barack Obama labeled as an epidemic during the week.

Mara D’Haene, a clinical social worker from Barre Town, told lawmakers she had seen opiate-addicted clients switch to marijuana and see big improvements in their lives She also said that opiate users are more likely to lose their children to state custody than marijuana users.

Maxine Grade, House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman and a Moretown Democrat, said the panel hopes to finish its work on the bill next week. She says it’s unclear whether the committee will vote to support the measure.

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