Vermont lawmakers have rejected a plan that would have allowed cannabis growers to sell directly to consumers, and some growers say that decision could force of them out of business.

Because there’s limited shelf space at the state’s retail stores, many small growers urged lawmakers to let them sell directly to consumers. 

Under a compromise plan developed in the Senate, a pilot program would have allowed this to happen, under the auspices of a licensed retailer, at a setting like a farmers market.

But a group of House members objected to the plan because they thought it put the state in the business of promoting cannabis use.

“They could literally take over the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds or the Rutland fairgrounds,” said Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Chittenden. “I questioned whether or not that’s what we want to be doing. To me, that would promoting cannabis, not controlling cannabis.” 

House Government Operations Chair Matt Birong supported the pilot program, but he said he agreed to take it out in order to pass the overall legislation.

“There was a lot of other provisions in here that were important for just the structurally maintenance and dialing in the industry as a whole, so we took something instead of nothing,” Birong said.

Opponents of the pilot program say they’re willing to revisit this issue next year if there’s time to fully study it.