§ 884. Cannabis establishment identification card
(a) Every owner, principal, and employee of a cannabis establishment shall obtain an identification
card issued by the Board. A person may apply for an identification card prior to obtaining
employment with a licensee. An employee identification card shall authorize the person
to work for any licensee.
(b)(1)(A) Prior to issuing the identification card to an owner or principal of a cannabis establishment,
the Board shall obtain from the Vermont Crime Information Center a copy of the person’s
Vermont fingerprint-based criminal history records, out-of-state criminal history
records, and criminal history records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(B) Prior to issuing the identification card to an employee of a cannabis establishment,
the Board shall obtain a copy of a fingerprint-based identity history summary record
from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(2) The Board shall adopt rules that set forth standards for determining whether a person
should be denied a cannabis establishment identification card because of the person’s
criminal history record based on factors that demonstrate whether the applicant presently
poses a threat to public safety or the proper functioning of the regulated market.
Nonviolent drug offenses shall not automatically disqualify an applicant.
(c) Once an identification card application has been submitted, the Board, for good cause,
may issue a temporary permit authorizing the applicant to serve as an employee of
a cannabis establishment pending the background check, provided the person is supervised
by someone who is a cardholder. Good cause exists if, among other reasons, the application
is reasonably expected to take more than 12 days to process.
(d) An identification card shall expire one year after its issuance or, in the case of
owners and principals, upon the expiration of the cannabis establishment’s license,
whichever occurs first. (Added 2019, No. 164 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. Oct. 7, 2020; amended 2021, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 14, eff. May 31, 2022; 2025, No. 56, § 6, eff. July 1, 2025.)