BREAKING: Vermont Becomes First State to Ban Paraquat, the Toxic Herbicide Linked to Parkinson’s

MAHA activists hope the new Vermont law, scheduled to go into effect on November 1, inspires other states to follow Vermont’s lead.

Vermont’s Republican Governor Phil Scott on Tuesday signed a bill into law that makes his state the first to ban the use of the weed-killing herbicide, paraquat.

According to the new law, the sale and use of the toxic herbicide will be halted on Nov. 1. Certain crops will be exempt from the ban until 2030 when a total ban goes into effect.

The ban is a two-fold MAHA victory. First, the prohibition on the sale and use of paraquat is a longstanding nationwide goal among MAHA advocates.

Second, because of MAHA advocacy, sections of the federal Farm Bill that recently passed in the House of Representatives –which would have preempted states’ rights to restrict certain herbicides and pesticides – were removed. The removal of these offending sections from the Farm Bill will allow other states to also ban paraquat.

According to an article by Kimberly C. Paul of the UCLA School of Medicine and others, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (2024), ambient exposure to paraquat dichloride in California’s Central Valley is associated with increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

During Tuesday’s signing ceremony, standing next to actor and PD activist Michael J. Fox, Governor Scott said, “Today, I signed H.739, which phases out the use of the harmful herbicide paraquat over the coming years. I appreciate Michael J. Fox and his foundation for their work on this issue and hope this can serve as a model for other states to follow.”

Fox, whose acting career has been greatly impacted due to the Parkinson’s diagnosis he made public in 1999, has long advocated for further research into the ailment that afflicts over 1.1 million Americans. He has long advocated for restrictions on the use of paraquat.

“I’m grateful to the patients, advocates, lawmakers and scientists who stepped up to protect Vermonters from paraquat,” Fox said. “Now it’s time for other states – and Washington – to do the same.”

While Vermont is the first state to ban the use of the herbicide, it is already banned in 70 countries including the members of the European Union. Even China, a country with notoriously lax pesticide and herbicide regulations, has banned paraquat.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation continues to advocate for other states to follow Vermont’s lead. Similar legislation is being considered in New York, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, where local lawmakers hope it will be introduced later this year and early in 2027.