Vermont Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers is facing a $5,000 fine from the state Cannabis Control Board. The penalty stems from cannabis cultivation at an unlicensed location, according to a report by VTDigger.
Rodgers, a Republican, does hold a license to grow cannabis at a specific property in Glover. However, regulators say the plants in question were found at a different site.
A state inspector reported finding “approximately 200 cannabis seedlings” in a greenhouse at another Glover location. According to the inspector, that site “has never been authorized as a site of cultivation activities.”
The enforcement action was detailed in a notice obtained by VTDigger. The notice informed Rodgers of the violations tied to cultivating at multiple locations.
The fine comes as Rodgers is running for reelection. He has long advocated for the Vermont cannabis industry.
Officials told Rodgers he must either resolve the multi-location issues by getting properly licensed at both locations, or end all cultivation activities at the second site. The directive was included in the notice obtained by VTDigger.
The second Glover site does not currently hold such authorization.
The discovery of the seedlings came during an inspection by a state inspector. The inspector documented the plants inside the greenhouse at the unauthorized location.
Rodgers’ licensed Glover property remains separate from the site where the plants were found. Regulators did not allege problems with the licensed cultivation site.
The notice gives Rodgers a path forward through licensing rather than an outright shutdown of his cultivation business.
Rodgers responded to the enforcement action by calling the incident “a routine and common administrative matter.” He made the comments as the fine became public.
Rodgers said he is “working through the normal process with the CCB to get it resolved.” He did not dispute that the plants were found at the second site.
The fine now puts his own cultivation operation under regulatory scrutiny.
The next step in the process remains Rodgers’ effort to resolve the matter with the Cannabis Control Board.
The case is unfolding as Rodgers campaigns for another term as lieutenant governor.
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