Vermont enacts fiscal-year cannabis laws covering privacy, scalpers

New legislation addresses cannabis regulations during FY 2026, as license closures and enforcement action signal market consolidation.

FILE — statehouse · B.D. Gilfry / CC BY-SA 2.0

Vermont's new fiscal-year cannabis laws, enacted July 1, address privacy and scalper activity alongside existing regulatory efforts. The timing coincides with heightened enforcement activity: four cannabis licenses became inactive in late July (All Bliss Cannabis, Rhize Cannabis Company, Craft Cannabis Co. Manufacturing, and Last Minute Farm), and an owner of Forbins Finest faced an $80,000 fine for facility sabotage while suspended.

Recent Vermont policy moves suggest a maturing regulatory posture. The state has doubled purchase limits to compete with black-market suppliers, updated lab testing and purchase guidance, and published pesticide best practices for cultivators. As of late July, Vermont's licensed market includes 112 retail outlets, 321 cultivators, and 92 manufacturers—infrastructure substantially in place despite the closures.

Key thing to watch: whether the new privacy and anti-scalper provisions affect market participation or licensing applications, and whether recent closures reflect compliance failures or broader market pressures.