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Growers press for producer-led events and a direct‑to‑consumer pilot; retailers and regulators flag implementation issues
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Summary
Growers and advocacy groups urged a pilot to let licensed cultivators and manufacturers sell directly to consumers at events, arguing retailers’ current control of retail windows leaves small producers without market access; regulators and retailers warned about capacity, tax collection, insurance and training requirements.
Advocates for small cultivators and manufacturers told the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee that a narrow pilot allowing producer-led sales at events is necessary to prevent craft growers from being priced out of Vermont’s legal cannabis market.
“Producer event” language in the committee’s draft would let cultivators and manufacturers participate in showcase events; Lieutenant Governor John Rogers said he supports including a couple of manufacturers and cultivators in the pilot so “when they come back next year, we have all the information we need on their pilot so that we can get to direct to consumer.”
Witnesses from cultivator and advocacy groups said current draft language from the Cannabis Control Board does not guarantee meaningful sales to producers and instead risks making them “mascots” at retailer-run showcases. Jeff Groupesitullo of the Vermont Growers Association argued the pilot should guarantee a substantial share of sales to producers so that events materially advance farmers’ incomes.
Regulators and retailers raised implementation issues for producer-led points of sale: tax collection, insurance coverage, training, and the Cannabis Control Board’s capacity to administer and inspect off-site events. Committee members asked the board to consider whether retailer umbrellas or a special event license (analogous to liquor event permits) would be needed, and several witnesses suggested CCB rulemaking could include training and security standards.
Graham, who identified himself as policy director of Rural Vermont, said the coalition’s proposal edits the CCB plan to “include cultivators and manufacturers” and to position events as a step toward broader direct‑to‑consumer options. He and other witnesses described this proposal as “incremental progression” intended to create an evidence base for larger direct‑sales endorsements in the next legislative session.
Industry members also debated pilot size and structure. The written proposal circulated by growers would remove the five‑event cap the board proposed and instead allow an unlimited number of events once a pilot completes and the CCB reports back; growers argued that a limit without guaranteed vendor share would not produce meaningful benefits.
The committee did not adopt final language at the hearing. Members directed the CCB and staff to report on what rules, staff resources, training, insurance, and tax‑collection mechanisms would be necessary to run a pilot that meaningfully benefits producers.
