The May meeting of the Cannabis Control Board was held last week. Click here to watch the replay on our YouTube page.

In addition to approving the staff recommendations for initial and renewed licenses, the Board set its regular meeting schedule for the remainder of 2024.

Board Chair James Pepper welcomed Olga Fitch as the new Executive Director of the Cannabis Control Board. During his address, he shared several important reminders for licensees:

1. Annual License Renewals: Although they may seem burdensome, especially if an establishment’s operations haven’t changed, annual renewals are mandated by the Vermont Legislature. The Board does not have the authority to alter this frequency.
2. Insurance Coverage Requirement: The necessity for insurance coverage, which can be costly for cannabis establishments, is beyond the Board’s control. However, there are resources on the CCB website regarding insurance. This topic was also covered in a recent Peer Networking Event.
3. Professionalism and Respect: Chair Pepper urged licensees to maintain professionalism and respect towards licensing and compliance officers. He encouraged licensees to express their frustrations during the Board’s upcoming rule-making process.

Important information about pesticides

The Cannabis Control Board has noted recent reports of a reformulation of a pesticide commonly used in cannabis cultivation.

As a result, CCB staff would like to offer these reminders:

• Cultivators must be aware of the CCB’s Pesticide Use Guidance and specifically should pay close attention to the list of approved active ingredients on pages 3 & 4.
• Cultivators may only use products with an active ingredient on the list. Always check product labels carefully as their active ingredients may have changed.
• Certified organic or OMRI-listed does not mean a product is automatically compliant and safe to use on cannabis. There are a variety of organic pesticides that contain prohibited active ingredients.
• Just because an active ingredient has an action limit, does not mean it should be applied. Action limits are often set to account only for agricultural drift from neighboring properties in outdoor cultivation.

Please reach out to the compliance team at [email protected] if you have any questions about pesticide use.

June Board meeting application deadline

The deadline to be included on the register for the May Board Meeting is June 14, 2024.

In order to be ready for approval at the June Board meeting, an applicant must:

• Have fully completed their application
• Received a certificate of occupancy from fire safety (when necessary), and
• Have passed their initial compliance site review by the CCB.

Should you have any questions, you can always reach a member of the CCB Licensing Team by sending an email to [email protected]

Members of the public who require ADA accommodations or interpretation services should contact Patrick Crowley ([email protected]) at least 24 hours in advance of any meeting.