Vermont high schools are getting honest with students about legal marijuana

One cannot ignore the elephant in the room – namely, that cannabis is now legal and sold to adults in Vermont, and it is only a matter of time before high school students are fully aware of their future options as adults.

WCAX in Vermont profiled several school officials to find out what their plans are and how the discussion about cannabis will continue now that adult sales are now legal.

“As we recognize that marijuana laws have changed — it’s for sale — we’re taking a really nuanced view here, talking to them about the reality of the situations, but also talking to them about where they’re at their actual lives,” Matt Meunier, a student assistance programming consultant at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont, told WCAX.

Chittenden County — home to Champlain Valley Union High School — is also home to at least 10 cannabis retail stores, and school officials can no longer pretend they don’t exist.

“Talking about decision-making, what choices you want to make and what life you want to lead helps move away from the question of, ‘Hey, this is all available to you now,’ to the question of what kind I want to be a member of my community.” ? What are my habits?” said Meunier.

Meunier said there are now more opportunities to consume cannabis, but there has not been a noticeable increase in student use.

“I think the longer students delay the first application or experimentation, the easier it will be for them to make those decisions and the healthier it will be for them in the end,” Meunier said.

Kelly Dougherty of the Department of Health said Vermont has the second-highest percentage in the nation of people ages 12 to 17 who say they have used cannabis in the past 30 days — but that it is ultimately up to parents to tell their children, among other things to teach about cannabis.

The results of a Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey conducted by the University of Michigan were released on December 16, 2015 by the university and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The study found that daily cannabis use among high school students “has changed little since 2010,” despite legalization being implemented in several states and being considered in many others.

However, another interpretation of the study notes that cannabis use is becoming more popular than tobacco use because, for the first time, “more high school seniors are smoking marijuana daily than cigarettes.”

“Parents have the greatest influence on their children. Our children are constantly watching us and modeling the behavior they see. Therefore, we recommend that parents who consume alcohol keep it out of sight if possible and talk to their children about the risks involved,” Dougherty said.

The main concern appears to be to curb underage consumption until they are old enough to make their own decisions.

“We like to focus on helping teens develop healthy coping strategies and protect their brain health so they can be their best. “Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Dougherty said .

Adult-use cannabis in Vermont

On January 22, 2018, Governor Phil Scott signed the Adult Use Cannabis Act, making Vermont at that time the ninth state in the country to legalize cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes. As of July 1, 2018, adults living in Vermont were allowed to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and grow up to six plants.

It would take over a year for retail sales to start in the state.

In 2020, Vermont became the 11th state to tax and regulate adult-use cannabis. Two years later, sales are starting to pay off. Adult-use cannabis sales officially launched in Vermont recently, with stores in three communities opening their doors to customers.

Under Vermont law, a portion of excise tax revenue is used to make up any shortfalls in the Board of Control’s budget. Of the excise tax revenue, 70% goes to the state general fund and 30% goes to drug abuse and prevention funds. Cannabis sales tax revenue is earmarked for after-school and summer learning programs.

Vermont’s adult-use cannabis industry has exploded. According to the Vermont Department of Revenue, cannabis stores in Vermont sold $2.6 million worth of products in October, the first month of legal cannabis sales.

James Pepper, chairman of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board, said $2.1 million to $2.4 million in excise taxes could be collected in the first nine months of cannabis sales. That equates to about $233,000 to $267,000 per month. “They seem pretty accurate, like our predictions are accurate,” Pepper said.

Vermont legalized personal possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults back in 2018. The state legalized medical cannabis in 2004.