Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate Finance reconsiders cutting outdoor cannabis fees as regulators flag roughly $100K shortfall
Summary
The Senate Finance Committee heard testimony from an outdoor grower and the Cannabis Control Board chair on a proposed amendment to halve outdoor cultivation fees; fiscal staff estimated the change would reduce the board’s fee revenue by about $100,000–$105,000, and the committee declined to vote immediately.
The Senate Finance Committee resumed debate over an amendment to reduce outdoor cannabis cultivation fees after testimony from an outdoor grower and the Cannabis Control Board chair.
Sam Bellance, owner of Sunset Lake Cannabis in South Hero, told the committee the current outdoor fee is a heavy burden for growers who harvest once a year. "For me it's $18,000 a year ... is too high," Bellance said, arguing outdoor operations generally produce far less annual yield than indoor facilities and face greater weather risk because they lack federal crop insurance.
The matter matters to the state budget and to small rural…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
