Adult-use recreational cannabis shop to open in Bennington, Vt.

BENNINGTON, Vt. (NEWS 10) – As the chances to open an adult use recreational cannabis store in New York by the end of 2022 seems to be going up in smoke, Vermonters are already enjoying the blossoming new industry. As the flowering new cannabis industry grows across the country and there are more delays in New York’s process to get open, one all women owned company in Bennington, Vermont is set to open their doors. “We are very excited! Everyone’s worked really hard, and the staff is so happy.

They’re really great and we just can’t wait for everyone this week,” says Colleen McQuade, owner Juniper Lane. Juniper Lane will be Bennington’s first adult-use recreational cannabis “pot shop” to open in the region. As McQuade explains, to finalize her opening it all came down to one thing that she needed. “After my license was approved, it still took a week to get my insurance in place.

I paid them, still took a week to get that insurance binder. There is, just, it’s always a process,” says McQuade. Whereas in N.Y. investors and capital are scrutinized to ensure valid funding comes from N.Y. investors. Yet in Vermont it appears a bit simpler to get things rolling. “Vermont really is giving opportunity to people, so they don’t need big investors from out of state and people are able to start businesses like this one, on their own.

Anyone that is investing, they do a background check and they’re part of your application process,” said McQuade. And as far as quality control goes, McQuade assures NEWS 10 the quality and safety of her products is essential. “We have a couple of licensed labs in the state that can do all the testing that’s needed.

Most of the products have a link or QR code that you can link right to that certificate of analysis and it tells you all of the testing information on it,” says McQuade. The Juniper Lane owner says the cannabis industry is not only lucrative for business owners she also sees it as having an opportunity for sustainable jobs. “The business that I’m trying to start here is to make that accessible.

I want this to be something where people have opportunity for growth and they make a living wage,” said McQuade. The budding new business is set to open to the public for the first time Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 9 am.