Hemp producers warn new Cannabis Control Board rule could force product destruction; committee pledges help

Dan Query, who identified himself as owner of B Hollow Apple Orchard and managing partner of Vermont Turf, told a legislative meeting that a March rule by the state Cannabis Control Board threatens Vermont hemp growers by requiring them to sell or discard their registered hemp products within six months.

"The cannabis control board passed a rule with no public input... giving all of the hemp producers in this state six months to sell all their product or the ... control's going to seize it and we have to dispose of it," Query said. He said Vermont Turf began growing hemp during the federal pilot program, at times cultivating more than 100 acres and producing “over 3 million pounds” over three years, and that growers struggled early on with drying, storage and absent markets.

Query described how some products combine hemp cannabinoids with adult‑use cannabis to produce full‑spectrum items that customers use for anxiety and stress relief. He said those products have relied on access to the adult‑use market and that the rule, as he read it, would shut that market to hemp ingredients even when products meet testing and registration requirements such as certificates of analysis.

"Just don't close the door on us," Query told the panel, asking that registered hemp products be allowed in the adult‑use market under the same testing and registration standards producers already follow.

The chair, Sharon, responded that rulemaking and negotiations are still underway and that the committee intends to protect farmers if the Cannabis Control Board’s rule harms them. "We are going to support the farmer," she said, adding the panel can write laws or rules if necessary and that staff are working closely with the board.

Sharon also described a licensing and fee approach aimed at preventing large out‑of‑state companies from entering Vermont’s hemp market. She acknowledged fees could be difficult for some producers to pay but said the strategy could protect local growers from national competitors.

No formal action or vote was recorded during the exchange. Committee members and the speaker said further rulemaking and discussions are expected; the chair asked producers to allow time for the board and legislators to work through regulatory details.

What happens next: committee members said they will continue talks with the Cannabis Control Board and pursue rulemaking or legislation if local growers face demonstrable harm.