MONTPELIER — A grower is facing penalties for allegedly cultivating and selling illicit cannabis, and destroying evidence.
Forbins Finest LLC has been licensed to grow inside a location in Barre. The company is alleged to have cultivated cannabis in a house the owners have in Northfield and sold it on the illicit market, according to a notice of violation issued in December.
Forbins Finest's owners "unequivocally deny all alleged violations," attorney Timothy Bryon Fair of Fair Law wrote in a response to the notice.
"Since becoming licensed," Fair wrote, "none of the principals (or agents) of Forbin’s Finest have ever sold any cannabis or cannabis products on the illicit market."
A CCB compliance agent allegedly witnessed a man removing about eight cannabis plants, each about 3 feet tall, from the house and placing them in a truck. A police officer "walked around the residence and observed heavy black smoke emanating from the chimney," according to the notice.
"The odor of the smoke was not consistent with that of typical wood smoke," the notice states.
One of the owners said his daughter had arrived at the residence and must have started a fire with wet wood, according to the notice.
Also in the notice is information showing a higher than average power bill, which is believed to have been associated with indoor cultivation. Fair told regulators that the property has no heating system but an electric heat pump "uses an inordinate amount of electricity."
"The phrase 'extraordinary volume of electricity' is subjective and inflammatory," Fair wrote. "When compared to previous years, electricity usage at [the house] has decreased significantly and maintained a consistent level for several years."
Facing penalties of as much as $80,000 and license suspension or revocation, the CCB offered a waiver penalty of $60,000 with a license suspension for 18 months.
"There has not been a final resolution in this matter and there is no hearing scheduled," Patrick Crowley, outreach and education manager at the CCB, said Wednesday.
A notice of violation is described by the CCB as "the document that puts a party on notice that the Board believes it has committed a violation and intends to impose formal sanctions."
"Usually, respondents work with staff to try to find a stipulated resolution, so there may not be a hearing," the CCB said. "Either way, the Board’s decision or the stipulation will be available to the public."