More than 400 Prospective Licensees Seek Prequalification for Vermont Cannabis Retail Market

MONTPELIER — The Vermont Cannabis Control Board officially launched its pre-qualification process for prospective cannabis license holders earlier this month. Yesterday, the board told WCAX they have received over 400 prequalification applications to date, 427 to be exact.

Control Board Commissioner James Pepper said in Monday’s meeting that the Control Board had received the applications for all license types, including testing facilities, all three tiers of product manufacturers, and that probably around half were cultivators. “So that’s really exciting,” he said. On Monday, they had received 395 prequalification applications.

During Monday’s meeting, the Board discussed reducing insurance burdens for small cultivators.

Heady How-To: Pre-qualification for Vermont Cannabis Applicants

They also discussed economic empowerment applicants and the order of review for applications. The order of review for applications will be priority, which includes social equity applicants, then expedited, including economic empowerment applicants and existing dispensaries, then finally general applicants (everyone else).

“I think it’s important to remember there are some advantages as well to applying as an economic empowerment applicant,” Pepper said.

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Economic empowerment applicants include women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBTQA-owned, and other historically disenfranchised groups. These groups will be given expedited priority in application processing.

 “If you put in an applicant and you are identified as an economic empowerment applicant we will be connecting those folks with technical assistance. That’s a program that is still in the works but will be available,” said Control Board member Julie Hulburd.

The application process for licenses this Friday, opening first for small growers and testing facilities on April 1, all cultivators on May 1 and eventually retailers on Sept. 1.

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