Shops in Vermont will be able to start selling recreational marijuana, but only three retailers will be ready to do so this opening weekend.
Posted at 2:43 p.m.
Retailers will open Saturday in Middlebury, Rutland and Burlington. A fourth retailer has been authorized, but it will not be ready to open on Saturday, 1er october.
As has happened with the rollout of recreational marijuana sales in other states and Canada, the inaugural weekend in Vermont will be “more of a soft launch” as more manufacturers Cannabis products are already online and more and more consumers are growing their plants themselves, said James Pepper, president of the Vermont Cannabis Authority.
Vermont joins 14 other US states that allow the sale of cannabis to adults, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Four other states—Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia—as well as the District of Columbia (Washington) have legalized recreational marijuana use, but sales are not there. haven’t started yet.
In issuing retail licenses, the Vermont Cannabis Authority prioritized diversity and social equity. Licensing fees have been waived for applicants who are black or Hispanic, or from communities that have historically been disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, or who have been or had a family member who was incarcerated for a cannabis-related offence.
More than 30 social equity applicants, mostly producers, have been approved so far.
Retailers in Vermont anticipate they will have enough supply to meet demand, but some growers have been frustrated by administrative delays.
The Régie had to develop the regulations while examining the applications. But many growers expected to get a license in May but didn’t, said Bernardo Antonio of the Vermont Growers Association.
“Those who produce cannabis outdoors have spent the whole year waiting for their license and wondering if they should plant or not, because they are trying to make it their business, but they can’t really pass. 16 months without income, he said. So, right now, there are a lot of growers in the field who are still waiting for a license: I mean, the season is over for them. »
At the Régie, Mr. Pepper understands the frustration of producers. But he argues that the Régie could not have done more, given the relatively short duration of its existence and the small size of its initial staff.
“We’re focused on consumer safety and public safety, and honestly, a slow rollout isn’t the worst thing in the world: in five years, no one will be talking about it,” Pepper said. But they will care if there is a wave of break-ins or if there was a product that made people sick.
“Starting an entirely new industry is obviously not easy. »