Vermont is taking action to cut down on the state's cannabis supply in a move that could help out smaller growers.
The state's Cannabis Control Board today said it voted to indefinitely close the license application window for new Tier 4 indoor cultivation licenses. That window will close at the end of the business day on Friday, November 24, 2023. However, existing Tier 4 license holders will still be able to renew their licenses.
Vermont also said the license application window for indoor Tier 5 cultivators remains closed, along with the application window for new Tier 4 and 5 outdoor and mixed cultivation licenses. Those windows had originally been scheduled to re-open on Friday, December 1, 2023 - they will now remain closed to new application. Again, though, the closure doesn't impact renewals for Tier 4 and 5 outdoor and mixed cultivators.
The state categorizes Tier 4 outdoor cannabis cultivation operations as having 10,000 square feet of total plant canopy and Tier 5 as 20,000. The state categorizes Tier 4 indoor cannabis cultivation operations as having 10,000 square feet of total plant canopy and Tier 5 as 15,000.
James Pepper, chairman of the Cannabis Control Board, told Vermont Public Radio the Board will take another look at licensing in the spring.
"Whatever we do on the supply side should really be targeted at those small cultivators — the small farmers and the social equity applicants — to allow them to kind of fill whatever the remaining capacity we have," Pepper said.
