Vermont CCB issues pesticide best practices for licensed cannabis growers

Guidance follows string of operator suspensions and regulatory tightening across the state's 321 active cultivation licenses.

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

The Vermont Cannabis Control Board published pesticide best practices for cultivators on June 26, a preventive compliance measure that appears timed to a period of heightened regulatory scrutiny. Since late July alone, at least four cultivation and manufacturing licenses have been marked inactive—including All Bliss Cannabis, LLC; Rhize Cannabis Company, LLC; Craft Cannabis Co. Manufacturing, LLC; and Last Minute Farm—according to the state license roster.

The guidance also arrives amid a broader enforcement cycle. In late July, the owner of Forbins Finest faced an $80,000 fine for sabotaging a suspended facility, per MMJDaily. These actions suggest the CCB is tightening compliance expectations across Vermont's 321 open cultivation operations and 92 manufacturing sites.

Pesticide residue and testing protocols remain a standard regulatory lever; the timing and publication of formal best practices may signal the board's intent to establish a clearer baseline before pursuing future compliance actions. Watch for any updated or clarified testing thresholds tied to this guidance over the next regulatory cycle.