How to Access the Vermont and New Hampshire, Cannabis Education Program:

Cannabis possession is a criminal charge. Cannabis charges are handled by each Vermont county’s State’s Attorney, and each has different philosophies concerning marijuana possession.

In Windsor County Vermont:

• The Windsor County State’s Attorney can give you the option of Diversion to avoid a criminal record, when you arrive on your scheduled court date at the Court House in White River Junction.
• The Police department of the arresting officer may also chose to send you directly to Diversion after speaking with us, this is called a “pre-charge” referral.
• If in court you decide to accept the Diversion referral, the Valley Court Diversion caseworker at the court will meet you in an office upstairs to complete the intake, screening, take the fee, and explain the Diversion process to you. You will then be scheduled for our 3 hour cannabis education class or to a board hearing in front of our volunteer board, if you are under age 15 or over age 23.
• You will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the education class or after completing recommended counseling.

New Hampshire Cannabis charges:

• Referral for marijuana charges to Valley Court Diversion is at the discretion of the Prosecuting Officer for each police department. The Prosecuting Officer for the town in which you were arrested will contact you, after making the determination that as a first time marijuana offender you can be sent to our program to avoid court and a criminal record.
• He will tell you that you have a certain number of days to contact VCDP, and he will schedule you for a NH court date that will stay in force until he hears from us that you have registered for our program, at which time he will remove you from the court docket. If you fail to complete the CEP program your court date will be reinstated.
• New Hampshire Diversion fees are set by the court to be less than court fees but still aversive.
• Once you contact us we will schedule you for an intake and a class/board hearing. Because we keep our classes small to be interactive, you need to contact us as soon as possible to get into one in a timely manner.