The Legislature has accused Gov. Phil Scott of slow-walking the launch of the legal marijuana market.
Five weeks ago, lawmakers recommended 10 candidates for the Cannabis Control Board, the regulatory body charged with setting policies for the fledgling marijuana marketplace.
But Scott, who has long been reluctant to wholeheartedly endorse legal marijuana sales, has yet to send the Legislature his nominations for the board.
During the Senate Democratic caucus on Tuesday, lawmakers expressed concern that Scott’s delay could foil the timeline for legal cannabis sales in Vermont. Under the law passed last year, people should be able to begin buying marijuana in October 2022.
Senators have already introduced one mechanism to prevent a delay. Sen. Chris Pearson, P/D-Chittenden, has added an amendment to S.25 — an update of the current marijuana tax and regulation law — stipulating that, if the control board met this summer to set licensing fees, they would not need immediate legislative approval.
Pearson’s proposal would give the Joint Fiscal Committee, which meets several times in the off-session, temporary authority to approve the fees and allow businesses to begin the licensing procedure before 2022.
“We were really fearing we were going to lose a year here,” Pearson said.
“We need to get these positions in place,” said Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham. “I believe that the way — the only way — this is going to happen is that if people out there in the broader world start putting pressure on the governor to make those appointments.”
White said the governor has written to the Legislature requesting more names of nominees.
Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, said Scott seems unhappy with the Legislature’s recommendations.
“It’s in his lap now,” White said.
Jason Maulucci, the governor’s press secretary, told VTDigger Tuesday that Scott is close to announcing his three picks for the board.
Maulucci said that dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic last year condensed the Scott administration’s timeline. The governor has now personally interviewed candidates, according to Maulucci.
“We are very close,” Maulucci said.
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