Will the CCB inspect cannabis businesses?
Yes, the CCB will aim to inspect each cannabis establishment annually.
How will the Board receive complaints about cannabis establishments?
Members of the public can submit a complaint via the form on our website (linked below), or by emailing CCB.Compliance@vermont.gov. Complaints may be submitted anonymously through the website form.
Adult-Use Program Complaint Form:
https://ccb.vermont.gov/AUcomplaints
How will the Board investigate cannabis establishments?
The Board has compliance & enforcement personnel who can investigate complaints about the operations of any cannabis establishment and recommend sanctions to the Board, if appropriate.
Should law enforcement support be deemed necessary, that support will be provided by the Department of Liquor and Lottery’s enforcement division.
How could cannabis establishments be sanctioned for violations?
The Board has authority to prescribe administrative and civil penalties to a license holder or other person who violates the rules or laws regulating the legal cannabis market. These penalties could range from a fine to a suspension or revocation of a license, depending on the type and severity of violation. The Board will inform a municipality of a suspension or revocation of a license after it has reached a final judgment.
More information about the Board’s enforcement processes can be found in Board Rule 4, available at the Board’s website:
https://ccb.vermont.gov/laws-rules-and-regulations
Municipalities retain authority to enforce ordinances regarding “public nuisances” under 24 V.S.A. § 2291. Complaints about subjects such as odor from cannabis cultivation or manufacturing facilities would be regulated as a public nuisance, and is subject to municipal, rather than state, authority.
Will a local police force know if cannabis is being lawfully transported through a town?
If transported in accordance with Board rules, cannabis transports will not be apparent to anyone outside of the cannabis businesses involved. Information about transports will not generally be shared with law enforcement each time a transfer happens, but there are strict rules in place regarding the transfer of cannabis between cannabis businesses.
Among other regulations, if cannabis is being transported by vehicle between licensees, it needs to be done in an unmarked car to avoid unnecessary attention and threats of theft or diversion. Cannabis must be entered and tracked in inventory tracking software that indicates a transfer between license holders.
Every time cannabis is transported, a manifest must be generated containing detailed information such as approximate time of departure, destination, estimated time of arrival, the transportation vehicle’s make, model, and license plate number, and signature of an employee of the cannabis establishment receiving the product.
If there is an issue in transport, the Board must be notified within 24 hours, and the Board will contact officials as appropriate.
What authority do local or state police have to stop and inspect licensed transportation vehicles?
None, unless the driver has committed a moving violation or some other offense.
Cannabis establishment employees who are transporting cannabis must always have documentation on them demonstrating their lawful employment with a cannabis establishment.
What type of security is required? How will local law enforcement be notified of theft, property damage or loss?
The Board has security requirements for all cannabis businesses, though the requirements vary depending on license type. License holders are required to report to the Board any issues of theft, property damage or loss. The Board will notify appropriate law enforcement and local officials as appropriate.
More information about the Board’s security requirements can be found in Board Rule 2, available at the Board’s website:
https://ccb.vermont.gov/laws-rules-and-regulations
How many people can be in a retail cannabis establishment at once?
The CCB does not regulate maximum occupancy at cannabis establishments, however all establishments will be subject to all relevant fire and building safety codes.
What public health and education measures are in place with respect to a legalized adult-use cannabis market?
The CCB has developed detailed regulations to ensure that cannabis and cannabis products that are being sold at retail establishments are tested and free from harmful adulterants. The CCB has broad authority to stop sales and recall harmful products if identified.
The CCB will require retailers to provide customers an educational flyer at the point of sale that includes health and safety information. This point-of-sale flyer may be found on our guidance page:
POS flyers and warning labels | Cannabis Control Board
Additionally, the Department of Heath will have access to 30% of the cannabis excise tax (capped at $10,000,000 annually) to fund substance misuse prevention programming throughout the state.
Will local police, fire, and rescue forces receive additional training related to cannabis over-consumption?
While the CCB does not have the authority to require additional trainings related to cannabis consumption for local police, fire, and rescue forces, the CCB will require training for employees for cannabis establishments that includes identifying signs of over-consumption.
What is the State doing to keep our roadways safe?
The Vermont Criminal Justice Council added Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) to the mandatory curriculum at the Vermont Police Academy in 2015, meaning all law enforcement officers who have graduated since 2015 are trained to detect drivers impaired by any substance, including cannabis. The Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council is currently working to train all remaining law enforcement officers that are involved in highway safety on ARIDE standards.
In addition to ARIDE-trained officers, Vermont utilizes approximately 45-55 trained Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) that are geographically dispersed around the state. DREs are specialized law enforcement officers that have completed a 40-hour course and field certification designed to detect not only impairment but also the impairing substance(s) a driver has consumed.
Are novel cannabinoids such as Delta-8 & synthetic Delta-9 regulated by the CCB? Can these products be sold in non-licensed establishments such as gas stations?
These cannabinoids were prohibited by state law in Act 166 (2024).
Is cannabis consumption, such as smoking, vaping, or eating edibles, allowed in public?
Public consumption of cannabis in any form is prohibited by state law and is subject to civil penalties capped at $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense, and $500 for a third or subsequent offense.
Can cannabis be consumed on private property such as a restaurant, outdoor common area of an apartment complex, concert venues, or in a resident's private yard/porch/driveway?
Cannabis consumption is prohibited by state law in all places of public accommodation, and some places of public accommodation can be private property. Places of public accommodation can include restaurants, stores, or other facilities at which services, facilities, goods, privileges, advantages, benefits, or accommodations are offered to the general public.
Cannabis consumption on private property that is not a place of public accommodation is not prohibited by state law.
What type of public education on cannabis use will the CCB provide?
The CCB requires licensed retailers provide customers an educational flyer at the point of sale that includes health and safety information. This point-of-sale flyer may be found on this page:
POS flyers and warning labels | Cannabis Control Board
Additionally, the Department of Heath will have access to 30% of the cannabis excise tax (capped at $10,000,000 annually) to fund substance misuse prevention programming throughout the state.
As a Vermont farmer, what should I be aware of regarding Federal laws on producing cannabis?
If you have received Federal funding such as funds from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and/or the Risk Management Agency (RMA) for USDA farm programs, that may include, but are not limited to, crop insurance, farm loans, disaster assistance and conservation programs, you should seek legal counsel before applying for a license to cultivate, manufacture, wholesale, or retail cannabis or cannabis products.
Although landowners in Vermont may now legally apply for licenses to operate a cannabis establishment, Federal laws prohibit such activities.
Does the federal government or the Cannabis Control Board regulate hemp products?
All aspects of hemp cultivation and manufacturing have historically been regulated by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. This VAAFM Hemp Program will be ending as of December 31, 2022. Beginning on January 1, 2023, oversight of hemp cultivation will transfer to the federal United States Department of Agriculture. More information on the federal hemp program may be found here:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp
Hemp product manufacturing and registration will be administered by the Cannabis Control Board in the new year. Hemp products will need to be registered with the CCB prior to sale in Vermont, starting on January 1, 2023.