Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cannabis Direct To Consumer topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Small, outdoor cannabis growers press for direct‑to‑consumer sales and targeted licensing
Summary
Multiple small outdoor cannabis cultivators told the committee that retail and distribution bottlenecks make wholesale markets unsustainable for many small farms and asked for pathways to sell directly from farms or new seasonal/limited retail options.
A Stockbridge cultivator who spoke without offering a full name described running a one‑acre outdoor operation and asked lawmakers to consider allowing limited direct‑to‑consumer farm sales or a new license category to let small growers sell directly from their farms. "I would like to be able to sell, off of my farm direct," the speaker said, and added that any on‑farm market would be gated, 21+, and without on‑site consumption.
Ethan Kramer of Fairfield, who runs a small plant nursery and holds a tier‑1 outdoor cultivator license, told the committee "we're at a turning point" and said small farmers face a bottleneck to get product to market. "There aren't enough avenues for the small farmers to get the product out there," he said.
Speakers said wholesale channels often capture most of the retail value for cannabis and that outdoor, sun‑grown product can differ in terpene and cannabinoid profiles from indoor product. Witnesses asked the committee to explore options ranging from a separate product registration for farm sales, a new seasonal or event license, or limited local retail where towns have opted in.
Committee members queried how retail licensing and town opt‑in rules interact with growers' desire to sell directly from farms. The session noted existing licensing categories ("tier 1," "tier 2") used by the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) and that some towns have not opted in to retail sales: "You can grow, but you can't retail in Stockbridge," a committee member said.
Why it matters: Small, outdoor cultivators argued that direct sales and alternative licensing could preserve small‑scale, terroir‑driven producers, maintain product diversity, and provide more stable revenue streams than depending solely on wholesalers and a small set of retailers.
No formal regulatory change was proposed on the floor; witnesses asked staff and legislators to study potential licensing changes and said they would return with additional suggestions.
