On July 26, 2023, the Vermont Growers Association launched the Vermont Cannabis Industry Emergency Fund (VCIEF) in response to the human-caused climate change extreme weather events, storms, and flooding during the summer growing season and the challenging reality that federal relief dollars are unavailable to licensed cannabis farms and businesses.
Over its two years of operation, the VCIEF has received numerous application inquiries and awarded grants to 11 local adult-use licensees across all license types impacted by severe weather events. To date, the program has distributed over $30,000 in non-repayable grants to local families and businesses during times of need.
“We are extremely grateful for money from the VGA." Said Zach Hoppe, of Root To Vitality Cannabis, and 2024 VCIEF Grantee, "It allowed us to recover from the most recent flood without hurting our business. It’s the reason we are still in business.”
The VCIEF is fully funded by the community through product partnerships, fundraising events, and individual donations. The grant program does not use any contributions for administrative expenses. Similar to VGA, the VCIEF operates entirely on a volunteer basis, and every dollar generously donated over the past two years has been reinvested back into the industry.
Learn more about the Vermont Cannabis Industry Emergency Fund: http://www.vermontgrowers.org/resources/emergency-fund
