Vermont Lt. Gov. John Rodgers (R) says he agreed to pay a $2,500 fine to state regulators to settle a violation for growing about 200 cannabis plants at an unlicensed location, Vermont Public reports. The settlement cuts the initial $5,000 fine in half.
In an interview with Vermont Public, Rodgers called the fine “very expensive… for a very minor infraction that could have been dealt with in a much easier collegial way.” He explained that his son, a partner in the cannabis businesses, neglected to tell the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) about the greenhouse in West Glover.
“Sometimes you drop the ball and it’s on me. I dropped the ball because after my son put the application in, I didn’t check to make sure.” — Rogers to Vermont Public
The CCB indicated it discovered the infractions during a routine inspection. The agency could have imposed a fine up to $20,000 but instead imposed a waiver penalty allowed under CCB rules. Waiver penalties are allowed when there are mitigating factors associated with the case such as prior violations, whether the current violation was stopped, and whether there were good faith measures put in place to prevent violations in the future. The CCB did not indicate what factors led to the waiver penalty and fee reduction.
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