Phil Scott (R) has vetoed legislation that would have legalized marijuana for recreational use, delivering a blow to legalization backers who hoped Vermont would be the next domino to fall. Though he said he views the issue "through a libertarian lens," Scott vetoed the bill due to concerns about detecting and penalizing impaired drivers, protecting children, and the role and makeup of a Marijuana Regulatory Commission. Phil Scott is vetoing legislation that would have made Vermont the ninth state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana, and the first to do so by an act of the Legislature, as opposed to a ballot initiative. Vermont would have joined Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Colorado, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia as the only jurisdictions to have legalized recreational use of marijuana. Representatives of Vermont Medical Society, Vermont American Academy of Pediatrics and Vermont Children’s Hospital have also expressed concerns directly to the governor. “We are disappointed by the governor’s decision to veto this widely supported legislation, but we are very encouraged by the governor’s offer to work with legislators to pass a legalization bill during the summer veto session,” said Matt Simon, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project. At a press conference on Wednesday, Scott said concerns from medical professionals, law enforcement officials and other constituencies opposed to the bill convinced him that now is not the right time for Vermont to move forward with legalization.
Vermont governor Phil Scott vetoes a bill legalizing marijuana in the state.