Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a bill into law on Thursday that ends criminal penalties for slight quantities of marijuana.
The New England state is number 17 on the list of places in the U.S. to decriminalize non-medical marijuana, joining California, Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon and others.
According to the Huffington Post, the law will take hold on July 1, replacing previous criminal penalty charges with civil fines.
Any citizen caught with fewer than an ounce of marijuana or five grams of hashish will be given a ticket on the level of a traffic violation.
First-time offenders will receive no more than $200 in fines, but any additional citations will mean pricier payback.
Possession of marijuana will no longer be put on a criminal record, and any people under the age of 21 caught with possession will receive the same treatment as if they were found with alcohol, including a court referral for a first-timer, civil penalties, license suspension, and criminal penalties for third-time offenders.
"I applaud the Legislature's action to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana," Shumlin said last month when he publicized his support for the bill. "Vermonters support sensible drug policies. This legislation allows our courts and law enforcement to focus their limited resources more effectively to fight highly addictive opiates such as heroin and prescription drugs that are tearing apart families and communities."
According to USA Today, marijuana possession in the Green Mountain State previously led to up to six months in jail with 24-month long sentencing at the very worst. Vermont then legalized medical marijuana use in 2004.
In 2012, Washington and Colorado voters passed a law that taxes and legalizes recreational marijuana use for people 21 years and older.
Will Vermont be the next state to take away all restrictions on weed smoking?
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