You may be stigmatized because you don’t work while living here, or you do not have a vehicle. Make sure someone in your family does and they are reliable. You are a Vet, and people here love veterans.

You should be fine.

In my experience: Vermonters are a hard working, sometimes conservative people. Even in secret. There are some good folks here, but making friends is tough unless you have family here. It takes patience.

Public transportation is very sketchy and the winters are cold too. Weed is a little expensive recreationally. If you are going to move to VT. I would choose, Montpelier or Burlington. They have the most walkable cities. Down Street and Housing Trusts are wonderful, but make sure you have a place to stat before moving. Solidify that stuff, affordable housing is scarce.

If you smoke cigarettes, federal and assisted housing does not allow it. You must smoke 25 feet from the building. If you find a place with non smoking tenants. I wouldn’t rent there.

If you have a Mental health issue or LD short of being in physically disabled, I do not suggest telling any medical practitioners because they will make sure you don’t get proper care. This is an unpopular opinion: However, diagnostic overshadowing is rampant here; and your records are not amendable without a doctors permission for 10 years. Professionals are considered gods here. Do not make the mistake of cracking wise with them. You will be on your own.

Also, make sure you are as thin as possible. This is important because the doctors in Montpelier are highly fatphobic, even if you are even slightly overweight. I believe this problem is chronic in the medical community and factual.

Getting a med card is very hard unless you have a qualified condition. Many doctors will say “weed is legal isn’t it?”
Then give you the riot act on how horrible it is. Be prepared for that. Many medical professionals think they will get tagged by the DEA. When, in truth, they’re only verifying you have a substantial condition, and not signaling that they approve medical cannabis. They can’t get in trouble for signing off on you becoming a patient.

The Recreational Dispensaries have some decent weed. The weed costs anywhere from 12 for a pre-roll to 50 for five top shelf joints. They are very potent. More potent than the medical dispensaries. The 1/8 will cost 50 to 75 dollars. I expect they’ll bring the prices down soon. I don’t think recreational has concentrates yet, and the edibles are better medicinally. However, the plant material seems better recreationally.

You won’t be taxed medicinally, but you will pay tax recreationally. The Medical side sometimes raises prices, so they can secretly include the tax. I hope that changes with more over-site. Also, SNAP and Medicade/Veterans pay 10% less.

You can also grow your own if you have a place that allows that, and you have a garden. Most home owners enjoy that privilege here. I would look at the Vermont cannabis feeds on Readit too. They’re kind folks.

Employers can fire you even if you are a medical patient, so make sure you feel out the person who is hiring you. Most hospitality businesses are fine with it.

Things operate at a slower pace in VT, so if you’re expecting a bustling environment. Burlington might be your speed. It isn’t as rural, but it has commerce that is more mainstream. You said you wanted “rural”, so Montpelier might be a good choice if you want the best of both worlds.

Northfield is small, but the silence and Dog River at night is so wonderful. The stillness is a blessing. I suspect that there are wonderful rural areas that you may enjoy.

I love Vermont, it’s worth a shot. Just be informed before you move here. People might also be a little resistant to you at first because you’re an “outsider”.

Be healthy, safe and well!