“So far, it has been up to local community members, friends, and family to rally around Green Mountain Therapeutics and help repair all of the damage done.”
As recently as April, the Manchester Journal in Vermont was noting how, one year after the town’s Selectboard approved zoning changes allowing for cannabis retail, no pot shops had opened. The main reasons, as an attorney working with one of the licensees told the paper, were related to finances and the “depth and breadth of regulations and how many moving parts there are.”
Meanwhile, in nearby Londonderry, things just got even tougher for one small cannabis business owner who was in the process of setting up shop. Kellie D’Elia-Laskin was busy building out Green Mountain Therapeutics this month when severe thunderstorms and rain flooded the area. The damage all throughout the region is extensive, including to her dispensary which is located in an old gas station.
And it gets worse. As a local Vermont blogger noted, “Kellie is renting the business space from an owner that does not have a flood insurance policy.” Furthermore, the business couldn’t get its own policy yet because “Green Mountain Therapeutics is not yet licensed by the Vermont Cannabis Control Board, which means Kellie cannot purchase a cannabis business insurance policy (or do things like open a cannabis business bank account) without first having a license.”
As the blogger noted, the requirement of a substantial investment before a license is granted creates “a terrible Catch-22 if a natural disaster happens, like it just did.” There’s no real chance of federal loans or assistance either due to the nature of the business, while state help is unlikely since, once again, Green Mountain Therapeutics isn’t licensed yet. The post continues:
In Kellie’s case she is 100% self funding her cannabis start-up. Not an easy task for a widowed, single mother, living in a rural town. So far, it has been up to local community members, friends, and family (including her 80 year old father) to rally around Green Mountain Therapeutics and help Kellie repair all of the damage done. Without any state or federal assistance, she will be at the mercy of her own tenacity and the generosity of others.
Those who want to help can email Kellie at kellielaskin@icloud.com, Venmo support @Kellie-Laskin, or PayPal via kellied_2000@yahoo.com.
