Vermont
Does Burlington have too many cannabis shops?
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – After nearly two years with a regulated cannabis market, Vermont now has 81 licensed dispensaries statewide — 12 of them alone are located in Burlington, with another two set to open soon. Many are concentrated downtown, in some cases just feet away from each other. It’s something city and state officials recognize may leave some shops in the weeds.
The Bern Gallery, a glass-blowing and smoke shop on Main Street in Burlington, has been a downtown staple for several decades.
“It’s been a very long journey,” said Tito Bern, the shop’s owner. They added the dispensary when retail cannabis became legal, something Bern thought would be a slow burn. “I thought I would be an old man before I saw this.”
Bern says the dispensary offers a unique customer experience — and a location — that can’t be beat. “Having our footprint here in downtown Burlington was incredibly helpful,” he said.
Just a short walk over to Church Street is the Float On Cannabis Company. “We try to have a real nice vibe,” said the shop’s Mathew Hogg. “We do a lot of tourist activity. We have a lot of regular customers.”
The shop is tucked next to several other dispensaries within eyeshot. “If you want good cannabis, south end of Church Street in Burlington is the place to go and you got several to choose from,” Hogg said.
“I think it’s a totally over-saturated market here, especially downtown,” said Chloe Kunzelman, a University of Vermont student from New Jersey.
“I think there is a lot,” said Ryan Smith, another UVM student from Connecticut.
City officials agree, saying the soon-to-be 14 dispensaries are too many, too soon. “In my opinion, that’s a little bit of a saturation of the market,” said Kara Alnasrawi, the city’s director of business and workforce development.
Even the state’s Cannabis Control Board says it’s problematic. “We do have this unnatural distribution of where they are located,” said board chair James Pepper.
So how did we get to this point of pot proliferation? When retail cannabis became legal, the Legislature gave cities and towns local control. Some municipalities like Burlington voted to allow the new market while others, like nearby South Burlington and Williston, have never voted. “We have an uncapped licensing system which allows greater access to the market, which also does have this downside where we can hit this saturation and the board doesn’t have a lot of control to temper that,” Pepper said.
It’s not just a Burlington pot problem. Over saturation is happening in other Vermont towns, too. “We are seeing pockets of density around the state where other parts of the state have cannabis deserts,” Pepper said. for comparison, he says Burlington has only three liquor stores. “The department of liquor control does an economic analysis before they hand out a new license, whether this store is going to cannibalize this other store. We don’t have that authority.”
Without a cap on the number of dispensaries in the state, Pepper says some will undoubtedly fail. He predicts more towns will take action to limit growth. “We are going to see some more local control take place and some more shifts in the market that are going to result in that,” he said.
But city leaders like Alnasrawi argue they are hamstrung on how many dispensaries are approved, saying it’s not the city’s place. “It would be unprecedented for a municipality to control what types of establishments. As long as an establishment conforms to zoning and ordinance regulations, they are allowed to be open for business,” she said.
Elaine Young, the director of Champlain College’s marketing and communication program, says the prevalence of any one type of business — whether intended or not — sends a message to visitors.” If every other store is a cannabis shop, that starts to change the tone and tenor of what people expect from downtown. while any business is preferable to vacant storefronts, she says it’s the market that will eventually decide which will stay open.
Dispensary owners say they are aware of the competition but remain focused. “I think competition is the best. Competition is what spurs innovation, and I think innovation is the coolest,” Bern said.
“Our numbers are going up every month. So, we are getting more of the pie or the pie is getting bigger. I don’t know which is which,” Hogg said.
And those numbers could be even bigger without state laws restricting how dispensaries run ads and promotions. The rules are intended to protect underage Vermonters, but industry officials have so far been unsuccessful in getting lawmakers to modify them.
Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont
Police: Vt. woman wanted after not returning car loaned to her
BERLIN, Vt. (WCAX) – Berlin Police say a Vermont woman is accused of stealing car that was loaned to her.
Officers say Suzette Santiago, 45 of Berlin was loaned a 2005 gold Subaru Outback on New Year’s Eve, and was expected to return it on New Year’s Day. But police say, that never happened.
Berlin Police say the vehicle was last seen by law enforcement cameras in Wareham, Massachusetts Friday morning. Police say Santiago has ties to Massachusetts.
The car has Vermont plates with registration KSS 140.
If you know where Santiago or the car are located, Berlin Police want to hear from you.
Copyright 2025 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont
US Chamber of Commerce, oil group sue Vermont over law requiring companies to pay for climate change damage
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a top oil and gas industry trade group have filed a lawsuit against Vermont over its new law requiring that fossil fuel companies pay for damage the state attributes to climate change.
The federal lawsuit, which was filed Monday, urges a state court to block the state from enforcing the law, which was passed by lawmakers last year, according to The Associated Press. The state said it is working to estimate the cost of climate change dating back to 1995.
Vermont became the first state in the country to enact a law of its kind after it suffered catastrophic summer flooding and damage from other extreme weather, the outlet noted.
The Chamber and the American Petroleum Institute argue in the lawsuit that the U.S. Constitution precludes the act and that the state law is preempted by the federal Clean Air Act, The Associated Press reported. The lawsuit also says that the law violates domestic and foreign commerce clauses by discriminating against the “important interest of other states by targeting large energy companies located outside of Vermont.”
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The plaintiffs say that the federal government is already addressing climate change, according to the report. The plaintiffs add that since greenhouse gases come from billions of individual sources, it is impossible to measure “accurately and fairly” the impact of emissions from a particular entity in a particular location over multiple decades.
“Vermont wants to impose massive retroactive penalties going back 30 years for lawful, out-of-state conduct that was regulated by Congress under the Clean Air Act,” Tara Morrissey, senior vice president and deputy chief counsel of the Chamber’s litigation center, said, according to the report. “That is unlawful and violates the structure of the U.S. Constitution — one state can’t try to regulate a global issue best left to the federal government. Vermont’s penalties will ultimately raise costs for consumers in Vermont and across the country.”
The law requires the Vermont state treasurer, in consultation with the Agency of Natural Resources, to issue a report by Jan. 15, 2026, on the total cost to the state and its residents from the emission of greenhouse gases from Jan. 1, 1995, to Dec. 31, 2024. The review would examine the effects of greenhouse gasses on various areas, including public health, natural resources, agriculture, economic development and housing.
The state would use federal data to determine whether the amount of covered greenhouse gas emissions can be traced to a fossil fuel company.
The share of funds collected from the companies could be used by the state for things like improving stormwater drainage systems, upgrading roads and bridges, elevating or retrofitting sewage treatment plants and making energy-efficient weatherization upgrades to public and private buildings.
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The law in Vermont captured interest from other states, including New York, where a similar bill was signed into law last month.
The New York law requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects to repair or prevent future damage from climate change, and the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases between 2000 and 2018 would face fines.
Vermont
Vermont state police seek help locating 60-year-old Enosburg man – Newport Dispatch
ENOSBURG — Vermont State Police are seeking assistance in locating John Reynolds, 60, who has not been seen since Nov. 13.
Reynolds is believed to be in the Enosburg/Berkshire area.
While there are no signs that he is in immediate danger or that his absence is under suspicious circumstances, concerns have been raised regarding his welfare.
Authorities are urging anyone who might have information about Reynolds’ whereabouts to reach out to the VSP St. Albans at (802) 524-5993.
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