Vermont's Capitol Police received quite the shock of their lives recently, after a visitor pointed out a "funny-looking" plant growing in the front lawn outside of the state's capitol building. After an officer took to inspecting the lawn on Monday, he discovered what is believed to be either a hemp or marijuana plant. According to Chief Matthew Romei, they have managed to identify 34 young plants in total, but for now, the greenery is "too young" to decipher whether they're hemp or marijuana.
It would require further lab testing to distinguish which of the two the plants are exactly, but Romei says the department has no plans to test them since they won't be pursuing criminal charges. "We also have no thoughts on why someone would plant it," the department said. "But if anyone wants to claim it and let us know why they planted it, we are happy to listen." Vermont first legalized the use of medicinal marijuana back n 2004, and was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana through the legislature (and not by ballot) following in 2018. According to state law, adults 21 and over are legally allowed to have up to 1 ounce of marijuana at a time, and if you're looking to grow the plant yourself, the limit is two mature marijuana plants and four immature marijuana ones at a time. There is the potential to face up to 6 months behind bars, or pay a fine of $500, if said laws are broken.