Despite suffering losses, Vermont cannabis cultivators, retailers and manufacturers are barred from accessing any federal aid in the wake of last week’s devastating floods that swamped the state.
That includes all Federal Emergency Management Agency business assistance programs because marijuana remains illegal under federal law, VTDigger reported.
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Cannabis farmers are also ineligible for federal crop insurance money, even if Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s emergency request for a U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster declaration is approved, according to the media publication.
“Because we are a federal agency, we have to follow federal law,” Carl Dombek, Small Business Administration spokesperson, said Monday, according to VTDigger.
“Cannabis is not legal under federal law, and therefore we are not able to lend to cannabis dispensaries.”
Geoffrey Pizzutillo, co-founder and executive director of the Vermont Growers Association, said early results from a survey of cannabis operators show “damage and loss” of outdoor
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