Advocates urge directing cannabis excise tax to land access, expungement and small business support

Jean Hamilton, co‑director for the Land Access and Opportunity Board (LAOB), told the committee that cannabis policy must include measures to repair harms caused by historic criminalization and to ensure the economic benefits of legalization reach communities that were disproportionately impacted.

"The LAOB was created to improve access to woodlands, farmland, and land and homeownership for Vermonters from historically marginalized or disadvantaged communities," Hamilton said, arguing that the war on drugs and discriminatory policing have long curtailed economic opportunity and contributed to housing insecurity.

Hamilton noted the Cannabis Control Board’s 2024 Act 166 report, which recommended dedicating a portion of excise tax revenue to community reinvestment; she said prior legislative reporting proposed directing 25% of cannabis excise tax revenues to the Land Access and Opportunity Board for grants and technical assistance tied to land and housing access. The LAOB said the board is prepared to deploy funds to vetted community projects and recommended augmenting the Cannabis Business Development Fund and tying appropriations to support small, craft producers and technical assistance.

Hamilton also urged the committee to strengthen expungement pathways and to address medical‑cannabis patient and provider needs, which she said have not seen adequate attention in recent legislative cycles. She recommended preserving direct‑sale provisions that support small producers and warned that potential interstate commerce could disadvantage Vermont craft businesses without strategic supports.

The LAOB testified that excise tax investments in housing stability, land access and community development would address upstream determinants of health and economic stability and help mitigate the intergenerational harms associated with cannabis criminalization.