Earlier this year in Vermont the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets announced that the state would be withdrawing from the USDA hemp pilot program by the end of the year. Vermont’s Cannabis Control Board held a meeting on Wednesday which included discussion of a bulletin that outlines the future of what hemp farmers and producers will need to do to remain compliant. According to the bulletin the Cannabis Control Board is now responsible for regulating hemp and hemp-derived products in Vermont. This transfer of authority officially took effect on May 31, 2022.
The Vermont Cannabis Control Board says that they are currently developing the rules to regulate hemp processors. The Board anticipates making applications available by mid-2023 for hemp processors to begin the process to obtain a license to manufacture hemp-derived products. The state’s current hemp program comes to a close at the end of this year. In order to remain compliant hemp growers in Vermont will need to register with the USDA moving forward as of 2023.
The bulletin spells out how any hemp-derived product that contains more than one milligram of THC per serving must undergo the exact testing, labeling, and packaging requirements as marijuana products. Products that meet that criteria may only be sold to retailers if the hemp business is licensed as a cannabis manufacturer. Similarly, a retailer seeking to sell such products must be licensed as a cannabis retailer.
Find the full guidance document from the Vermont Cannabis Control Board website here: https://ccb.vermont.gov/sites/ccb/files/2022-11/Policy.HempDerived.High_.THC_.Products_FINAL.pdf
