Is marijuana legal in Vermont?
Yes. As of 2026, marijuana (weed) is legal in Vermont for adults 21 and older, who can possess up to two ounces, grow a limited number of plants at home, and buy at licensed stores. Medical cannabis is also legal.
Status checked November 4, 2026
Contents
Marijuana laws in Vermont
Vermont first legalized possession and home cultivation for adults 21 and older in Act 86, signed January 22, 2018, and effective July 1, 2018. Licensed retail sales followed later under the Cannabis Control Board. Medical cannabis is separately authorized.
Under 18 V.S.A. §4230a, an adult 21 or older may possess two ounces or less of cannabis or 10 grams or less of hashish, and may have two mature plants or fewer or four immature plants or fewer, without being penalized by the state. Under §4230e, each dwelling unit is limited to two mature plants and four immature plants, no matter how many adults live there. Cannabis harvested from those plants does not count toward the possession limit if it is stored indoors on the property and reasonable precautions keep others out.
Adults may not consume cannabis in a public place. A first public-consumption offense is a civil penalty of not more than $100, then $200, then $500. An adult 21 or older may dispense one ounce or less, or five grams or less of hashish, to another adult if the transfer is not advertised. Selling more than that without a license is a crime.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, apart from state-licensed medical marijuana, which moved to Schedule III in April 2026.
What the law says
Legal
- a person 21 years of age or older who
- possesses two ounces or less of cannabis or 10 grams or less of hashish and two mature
- cannabis plants or fewer or four immature cannabis plants or fewer or who possesses
- paraphernalia for cannabis use shall not be penalized or sanctioned in any manner
- by the State or any of its political subdivisions or denied any right or privilege
- under State law.
- a person 21 years of age or older who
- cultivates not more than two mature cannabis plants and four immature cannabis plants
- shall not be penalized or sanctioned in any manner by the State or any of its political
- subdivisions or denied any right or privilege under State law.
Not legal
- A person shall not consume cannabis in a public place.
- No person shall knowingly and unlawfully possess more than two ounces of cannabis
- or 10 grams or more of hashish or more than three mature cannabis plants
Quoted from 18 V.S.A. §4230a.
How old do you have to be to use marijuana in Vermont?
You have to be 21 to buy weed in Vermont. The possession and home-grow protections in 18 V.S.A. §§4230a and 4230e apply to people 21 years of age or older. Licensed retailers also sell only to adults 21 and older. Medical cannabis remains available through the state's medical program for qualifying patients, including some who are younger.
How much marijuana can you have in Vermont?
Adults 21 and older in Vermont can have up to two ounces of cannabis or 10 grams of hashish. At home, each dwelling unit may also have up to two mature plants and four immature plants. Cannabis harvested from those plants does not count toward the ounce limit if it is stored in an indoor facility on the property where it was grown and reasonable precautions prevent unauthorized access. In a car or in public, stay within the two-ounce possession limit. Consuming cannabis in a public place is separately banned.
Where can you buy marijuana in Vermont?
You can buy weed in Vermont at licensed cannabis retailers if you are 21 or older and show valid ID. Medical patients can also buy through the medical cannabis program. Buying from an unlicensed seller is not legal. An adult may give one ounce or less, or five grams or less of hashish, to another adult 21 or older if the transfer is not advertised or promoted to the public.
Can you grow marijuana at home in Vermont?
Yes. Adults 21 and older in Vermont can grow not more than two mature cannabis plants and four immature plants. Each dwelling unit is limited to those numbers no matter how many adults live there. Cultivation must be on property lawfully in the grower's possession, or with written consent, screened from public view, and with access limited to permitted adults 21 and older. Growing more than that is punished under §4230.
Where can you use marijuana in Vermont?
You can smoke weed in Vermont mainly on private property. State law says a person shall not consume cannabis in a public place. A first offense is a civil penalty of not more than $100, a second not more than $200, and a third or later not more than $500. Landlords may ban lighted cannabis or inhaled products in a lease. Using cannabis while driving is illegal.
How do you get a medical marijuana card in Vermont?
To get a medical marijuana card in Vermont, you apply through the state's medical cannabis program, overseen with the Cannabis Control Board. A qualifying patient needs a provider's recommendation and a registration. Adults 21 and older can also buy at licensed adult-use stores without a medical card. The medical program remains useful for patients who want medical products or who are under 21.
Can visitors buy or use marijuana in Vermont?
Yes. Out-of-state visitors can buy marijuana in Vermont if they are 21 or older. The adult-use possession law has no residency requirement for being 21 and possessing two ounces or less, and licensed retailers sell to adults 21 and older with valid ID. Visitors follow the same public-use and plant rules. Taking cannabis out of Vermont across state lines remains illegal under federal law.
What are the rules on driving and marijuana in Vermont?
No, you can't drive high in Vermont. It is illegal to drive under the influence of cannabis or another drug. A legal purchase from a licensed store or a medical cannabis registration is not a defense to a DUI charge under 23 V.S.A. §1201, which covers impairment from drugs as well as alcohol.
Can an employer in Vermont fire you for using marijuana?
You can get fired for using marijuana in Vermont if you're impaired at work, but Vermont limits when an employer may drug-test employees. Under 21 V.S.A. §513, an employer generally may not require a drug test as a condition of employment, except in listed situations, including probable cause that the employee is using or under the influence of a drug on the job, and may not run random or company-wide tests unless federal law requires them. That is not a blanket ban on firing someone for being impaired at work.
What are the penalties for breaking marijuana laws in Vermont?
Adults 21 and older who stay within two ounces, or 10 grams of hashish, and the plant limits are protected from state penalties for that possession. Knowingly possessing more than two ounces, or more than three mature plants, can bring civil penalties or criminal charges under §4230, with larger sales amounts carrying prison terms and large fines. Public consumption is a civil fine that rises with repeat offenses.
Are CBD, hemp and delta-8 products legal in Vermont?
Hemp and hemp-derived CBD that meet Vermont's hemp definition are regulated separately from adult-use cannabis. Intoxicating products sold as delta-8 or THCA may be treated as cannabis if they fall outside that definition. Licensed cannabis must come from the regulated market or a lawful home grow. Separately, a stricter federal hemp definition, with a total-THC standard that counts THCA and a 0.4 mg-per-container cap, takes effect December 11, 2026.
Does federal law still apply in Vermont?
Yes. Federal law still applies in Vermont. Marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, with one exception: since April 28, 2026, marijuana covered by a state medical marijuana license and FDA-approved marijuana products are in Schedule III. A broader federal rescheduling proceeding was stayed on September 29, 2026, and has no decision date. State law does not change federal rules on federal land, on carrying marijuana across state lines, or on federally required drug testing, such as for DOT-regulated jobs.
Has the law in Vermont changed recently, or is it about to?
Vermont's adult-use possession law now allows two ounces, or 10 grams of hashish, for adults 21 and older. Section 4230e still refers in one sentence to an older one-ounce possession limit in §4230a, but the current text of §4230a is two ounces; the answers follow §4230a. Retail sales continue under the Cannabis Control Board. New federal hemp limits begin November 12 and December 11, 2026.
Legislation
Sources (8)
- 18 V.S.A. §4230a (possession by a person 21 or older) legislature.vermont.gov
- 18 V.S.A. §4230e (cultivation by a person 21 or older) legislature.vermont.gov
- 18 V.S.A. §4230 (penalties) legislature.vermont.gov
- 21 V.S.A. §513 (employee drug testing) legislature.vermont.gov
- legislature.vermont.gov
- dea.gov
- federalregister.gov
- congress.gov
General information, not legal advice. Laws change often, so check with the state's cannabis agency before relying on this.
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