At a committee meeting April 29, Devin Danet of Clean International testified that Vermont should allow one-time product registration, permit adult-use labs to process hemp with appropriate safeguards, and preserve a higher THC backstop to protect in‑state manufacturers and encourage farmers to return to hemp cultivation.

Vermont amends definitions and regulations for hemp and hemp-infused products through H.321.

The Cannabis Control Board told the committee on Jan. 8, 2026 that federal changes closing hemp-to-cannabis loopholes could force most out-of-state sales to stop and urged state rulemaking options ranging from light registration to full product oversight to protect Vermont farmers and public safety.

Lawmakers reviewed S.323, which would move hemp regulation to the Cannabis Control Board, add product registration and fees, and give the board discretion to define craft processors. Small-business hemp owners urged guardrails on rulemaking, clearer rules for intermediaries, and less onerous product-registration requirements.

Committee members reviewed amendments to S.323 that would give the Cannabis Control Board authority to set sanitary standards and craft-processor rules, allow longer registrations for low‑risk products, and impose criminal and civil penalties for selling unregistered hemp or cannabis; members debated guidance versus formal rulemaking and interstate commerce risks.

Hemp market loopholes allow sale of highly intoxicating products, raising concerns over regulation and safety.