Supporters of decriminalizing - or even legalizing - the possession of small amounts of marijuana have cleared a major hurdle. The Vermont House voted 98-to-44 on Friday to make it a civil offense - instead of a crime - to possess one ounce or less of pot.

Lawmakers are set to vote on a bill this week that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The House Judiciary Committee has been taking testimony for weeks and the bill is likely to pass Tuesday afternoon.

A key House committee took testimony on Thursday about whether possessing small amounts of marijuana should be a civil offense, not a crime. In Montpelier, decriminalization was once considered one of the key issues of the legislative session, but it has recently taken a back seat.

On election night, Burlington voters registered their support for legalizing marijuana in the city in a non-binding referendum. But leaders at the Statehouse say a more likely course of action is to decriminalize the drug.