Control Board Issues First Operational Cannabis License in VT to Social Equity Tier One Cultivator Rutland Craft Cannabis

MONTPELIER — The Vermont Cannabis Control Board (CCB) began today’s meeting with some much needed and highly anticipated news, awarding the first operational cannabis license for the adult use market in Vermont. Rutland Craft Cannabis in Brandon was given full approval to operate, and was granted a Tier One indoor license by the board.

“I feel like parliamentary procedure doesn’t give you an opportunity to celebrate small moments of joy, and this is kind of a small moment of joy,” CCB Executive Director Brynn Hare said excitedly.

As per statute, the first cultivator license falls under Vermont’s social equity priority status. The Board took time in today’s meeting to remind applicants of this order of approval and to encourage the use of the Board’s website to answer questions about application status.

The Board is required to review all Social Equity and Economic Empowerment applications before moving on to those who don’t qualify under those terms. There are currently 10 Social Equity applications that have been submitted and received, three are under review, and 29 have been deemed incomplete.

“I feel like parliamentary procedure doesn’t give you an opportunity to celebrate small moments of joy, and this is kind of a small moment of joy,” said Brynn Hare.

The Board is in the process of reviewing an additional 36 pre-qualification applications. “We’ve really plowed through the cultivator pre-qualification applications [and] we’ve already approved a little bit over 100 of them,” said Hare.

Retail, manufacturing, and wholesale are the application types that the Board will primarily be looking at today and going forward.

Other updates shared at the May 16 meeting:

• The Board will share licensees’ contacts to other licensees interested in partnership
• While the Legislature is not opposed to lifting the caps on THC concentrates, the House is requiring a report from the Board that outlines the impact of leaving the cap in place.
  • Report is due December 1 and the Board will hold public meetings during which it will take suggestions from the public.

Thanks for reading! 🙏🏽

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