Cannabis Control Board details FY2026 budget, lab buildout and enforcement plans

The Cannabis Control Board told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 10 that it plans to open a state reference laboratory in Colchester, bolster enforcement staff and move to rely on the general fund after a change in how cannabis excise taxes are allocated for fiscal year 2026.

The presentation, led by James Pepper, chair of the Cannabis Control Board, and Olga Fitch, executive director, outlined staffing levels, a lab timeline and revenue projections and flagged a proposed additional attorney position to handle enforcement caseloads. “We are now at 7, field agents, plus a deputy director and a director to do the compliance and enforcement work,” Fitch said, describing the board’s current enforcement staffing and vacancies. She added that the board has “just last week gone under lease ... in Colchester” and is entering a phase to build out a quality-control lab.

Why it matters: the board currently relies on a mix of excise tax transfers and fee revenue to pay operations. Fitch said the governor’s proposed FY2026 budget moves excise tax receipts to the general fund and leaves the Cannabis Regulation Fund composed solely of fees, renewal and application charges and administrative penalties. Fitch said projected fee-and-fine revenue for FY2026 is about $2.61 million, and the board expects the governor’s recommendation to allow retention of necessary year-end balances to meet operations.

Most important facts: Fitch said the agency’s quality-control lab staff positions are vacant; while private labs now perform testing, the board will use its own lab for quality…