Licensing Update: Seven New Licenses Issued By Control Board

MONTPELIER – Despite the surprise jumpstart on issuing the state’s first retail licenses last week, there were no new retail licenses to report at this week’s Vermont Cannabis Control Board meeting. However, Chair of the Board James Pepper announced that there are six retailers in ‘resubmitted’ status. “I anticipate those applications should be ready for next week’s meeting,” Pepper said.

License holders approved in the September 21, 2022 meeting (screen grab version below):

• Frendly Gardens
  Indoor Cultivator Tier 1
• Cann Able Farms, LLC
  Indoor Cultivator Tier 1
• Heady Righton LLC
  Indoor Cultivator Tier 1
• Tall Truck
  Indoor Cultivator Tier 1
• Vermont Select, LLC
  Mixed Cultivator Tier 2
• Green Valley Cannabis LLC
  Mixed Cultivator Tier 1
• X-Tract Vermont LLC
  Manufacturers Tier 3
  Economic Empowerment

Inventory Tracking

Pepper also mentioned there will be additional inventory tracking ‘walk-throughs’ of the interim tracking system. The Board plans to do a Q&A at the end of these walk-throughs so licensees can communicate any questions or concerns directly to the Board. All licensees are still encouraged to email questions to the Board until that happens.

Packaging

The Board briefly also reviewed packaging requirements. Vermont is the first and only state to not require childproof packaging on flower. Their reasoning is that ingesting flower poses nowhere near the same risk as ingesting edibles, for example.

The motivation behind this decision is to avoid industry reliance on heavy-duty, non-recyclable, non-reusable single-use plastic jars and lids for flower. “The legislature is willing to accommodate this request but they didn’t say this could be a free-for-all,” Pepper reminded viewers.

The state does, however, require the use of ‘child-deterrent’ packaging for flower. While there is a statutory definition for this term, there are no state certifications or registries for child-deterrence. Child-deterrent packaging does not require Board approval. Therefore, the Board requests that licensees use common sense:

• Is the packaging difficult for a child under the age of five to open in a reasonable amount of time?
• Does the packaging have characteristics like a latching mechanism or tear resistance?

By the end of this week, The Board will have a supplemental one page guide on packaging up on its website.

Staff Recommendations

The numbers of applications are staying relatively consistent week to week, according to Executive Director of the Board Brynn Hare.

License Applications

Licenses Issued

Social Equity

Joined by Xusana Davis and Jay Greene of the Vermont Office of Racial Equity, the Board entered a brief Executive Session today to discuss whether or not one Social Equity Applicant overcomes presumptive disqualification. Every Social Equity Status recommendation from this week was approved.

Other Meeting Item(s):

• The Board has added various glass jar alternatives to its list of approved packaging on its website.

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