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Where do you currently live (because for some states the improvement in education state-wide is dramatic)?

I don't know that all that many jobs in VT drug test, outside of health care perhaps

I would say Ann Arbor, MI, but check out the Huron River PFAS/hexavalent chrome situation and the dioxane plumes. The area is great for families, education, and cannabis, but the pollution is severe and is why my family moved to Vermont from Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor and Burlington are really similar cities. Burlington has its own demons though. The opioid epidemic is much worse in the NE than SE MI. The secret is out on Vermont too. So many people moving here that housing is very scarce. Vermont's recreational cannabis industry is just getting started tho. Might be cool to ride the tide.

Side note, the west side of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, including Grand Rapids, is known as the Bible Belt of the North. Take that for what it is worth. Lots of pollution over there too.

If you can find a job, Traverse City, MI would be a great place to live. I think it's equivalent in Vermont would be Stowe.

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North West Ohio

Down in Southern Vermont the main industries are going to be C&S Warehouse, construction, logging and farming. As far as drug screening, you'll have to check out the job postings and websites of each organization before applying. Make sure you have a job secured before moving. You'll probably have to rent because home prices are high in comparison with the average wage. The entire state is family friendly with relatively good schools, but southern VT is the first stop for hard drug runners coming up from Mass. You'll probably see at least one trooper on the side of I-91 watching for sus cars if you're coming up from the south.

Be aware, if you're coming in from a place like Texas (tons of Texas folks coming out here to CO for weed right now) you need to understand we don't have many chain fast food places, big box stores, or much of a night life. Everything is very mom and pop, and the state basically closes up at around 8pm. The winters are long, cold, and dark, so make friends and pick up a hobby, because that's the only way to survive out here.

I really appreciate the details you've provided. Are there any areas you recommend to look at in particular?

I currently live in Virginia and you can grow and smoke it but the only place you can buy it is in DC which is shady and not very good .

They are also trying their best to repeal it . Almost all northeastern states , west coast states , and Colorado are full legal.

In Maine they can’t even test you for it for a job anymore .

I'm a bit against moving to a state primarily for weed access, because I've seen what usually happens to those families time and time again out here in CO. They usually show up with no job and no plan, but end up just smoking weed all day until they are evicted. I've gone through 3 neighbors in 5 years that way. They always end up moving back to Texas (because illegal weed was cheaper anyway).

I'm not saying you are this way, but if I were you, I'd spend my time and money learning a real skill at a trade school, and find the best place to live based on that. I would never base major life decisions on where I could legally get fucked up, and neither should you.

I'm down here in northern Pennsylvania and your entire second paragraph is exactly why I like Vermont.

Long, cold dark winters beat hot, humid buggy summers with ticks, yellow jackets, poison ivy and mosquitoes any day.

Vermont: Why not both?

For context, I'm a physically disabled vet and a househusband. it's not about me getting fucked up I just want to be in a legal state where if my wife wants to smoke without being prosecuted for it she can.

Ok that's fine, but it doesn't really change anything. What skills is your wife bringing to the state? What does she do now? Is she ok with all the things I talked about above? Why isn't she the one asking these questions?

Not sure if you've considered Missouri, but recreational weed was voted in last year. It'd be a much more lateral move from Ohio, with less culture shock and probably lower expenses.

She's a warehouse and shipping specialist. She doesn't have a reddit account. We're fine with the info we know she's going to need a job before we move to wherever. I do have income on my end that's more than sufficient to live on for a few months if I were to just pack and move, if she couldn't find work immediately.

We're only on here to gather information about states; possibly hear about cities or towns we've never heard of before.

She could easily find a job at C&S then. They are always looking for people like her.

I lived in PA for 18 years, GA for 1 and a half, and ohio till now. I love different cultures. Never knew the real meaning of southern hospitality till I live in GA but u was in the military at the time.

Good on you for thinking about quality of education.

Pivot here:

As far as which state, If it were me, I’d decide this way:

If you want the more liberal choice, love mountains, dislike billboards and traffic, and don’t care about ease of shopping, go with Vermont but if you need medical care it is an advantage to locate near White River Junction / Dartmouth.

If you prefer the warmest of the three, the generally more conservative choice, or will want to be closer to the ocean, go with Virginia. (Although as far as ocean goes, Michigan has Great Lakes, and parts of Vermont might be closer to Hampton NH than the Big Stone Gap / Rte 23 area is to the ocean.)

If you have people in Ohio you will be wanting to visit, go with Michigan.

You might find this tool helpful in comparing town-to-town cost of living:

https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/

I'd look in the greater Dartmouth ecosystem area. So White River junction, Norwich, etc. There is a VA Hospital, Vet Center etc. Plus the greater Dartmouth area has a lot going on so there is a variety of jobs. I am sure you could find something that fits your particular restrictions. If not working at the VA itself.

Semper Fi killer.

Edit:. The schools are good over there too cause, well, ddaarrttmmoouutthh snoody voice. A lil expensive though.

I would also recommend comparing state benefits for disabled vets. Some places have huge tax breaks and free vehicle registration if you are over 50%. I only get 10% due to insomnia, but I still like the support infrastructure for vets out here in Colorado.

See we wanted to move to CO but we're so worried about the hype around Yellowstone. It's like is it volcano is it not a volcano. If it blows do we want to risk being near the blast zone or debris field? Would there be time to evacuate? Just stuff like that, we've also heard it's hard to find places that aren't riddled with meth users.

We'll probably get nuked before Yellowstone pops off lol.

Moved from VT to Bangor, ME

At least a dozen rec pot shops in town, another 1/2 dozen med shops;

Maybe summers there are nice. I've only been there in Septembers.

I work road construction outside Philly and summer doing roadwork in southeastern PA is really rough at times.

I just love winter, especially starry nights with a full moon on the snow.

We have a very good VA in White River, which would likely be important - perhaps moreso than Dartmouth.

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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!

White River is beautiful.

Up in the Chittenden area I've never been screened, though most apartments in the area are not smoker friendly unless you have a private porch or something (and even then neighbors can still complain if it wafts over). On the plus side we have edibles :)

Rural tends to be expensive or really bad quality though you may be able to find something good if you go far enough out

Hopefully you are a trust funder who works from home. You’ll fit right in. And boy oh boy please let us know how you would fix this state after living here for a few weeks. We natives love that

Honestly, all things being equal, you should add Maine and Mass to the list of places you are considering.

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I was born and raised in PA. Lived all over in Beaver County and up in Schuylkill County in the Poconos for about 3 years before I joined the military.

DM me OP I’ll answer all the questions I can including the VA situation here 100% P&T myself.

You might be surprised then. many manufacturing companies do. hell I got tested by O'reily auto parts although that may have changed now that it's legal.

Bro Yellowstone is the reason u won’t move to CO🤣🤣🤣

The number of bugs in my house that swarm my front door, create huge writhing masses on my windowsills at night, and fill my house every time I open any door was the biggest surprise when moving to VT. I bought two Katchy traps to keep them under control.

Im not an expert, you're probably right!