Whether you’ve never consumed cannabis or you unwind after work by smoking a dogwalker, we think you’ll find something useful in Seven Days’ second annual Vermont Cannabiz Guide.
There are now 110 dispensaries dotting the landscape from Brattleboro to East Burke, Manchester Center to Morrisville and everywhere in between. You’ll find a numerical snapshot of the industry, “420 in the 802,” and a complete list in this guide.
Each dispensary is a local business with its own unique vibe. The state restricts how they can market themselves to consumers, so they have to get creative to win loyal customers, as Ken Picard explains in “High Fidelity”. One of his interviewees, a former IBM employee, runs a dispensary in Johnson on his family’s 1950 homestead. His father grew vegetables there way back when; now he grows cannabis in the same fields.
By law, everything these shops sell must be grown and manufactured right here in Vermont. When you buy a tin of edibles or a THC-infused beverage, you’re supporting the retailer, the producer and the grower, any of whom could be one of your neighbors.
Seven intrepid Seven Dayzers volunteered to sample some of these tasty treats. You’ll find their product reviews.
For a 30,000-foot view of the industry and how it functions, Seven Days deputy news editor Sasha Goldstein called James Pepper, chair of the state’s all-powerful Cannabis Control Board. Read Goldstein’s interview with this “Heady Honcho.”
We hope you enjoy this potluck parade — responsibly, of course. ➆
Dispensary Dos & Don’ts
DO bring your photo ID proving you are 21-plus.
Dispensary staff will check it twice: once when you enter and once when you pay. Make sure it’s not expired! Yes, they will check and refuse to let you in.
DON’T bring the baby.
No one under 21 is allowed to enter a dispensary, even if that little person is so young that they’re strapped to the body of an adult.
DO bring cash.
Because cannabis still isn’t legal federally, you can’t buy it with a credit card. Many dispensaries accept debit cards, but they do it by acting as an ATM, charging transaction fees and rounding up to the nearest $5 or $10. Some dispensaries have ATMs on-site, but your best bet is to bring your Benjamins.
DO try shopping online ahead of time.
If you’re looking for something specific, check the dispensary’s website before you go to see if it’s in stock. Some dispensaries let you shop online using a banking app and pick up your products in person.
DON’T light up as you walk out.
It’s still illegal in Vermont to use cannabis in public — at a concert, in a park, on the beach, etc. Pretty much the only place where you can legally use it is a private dwelling. Definitely wait until you’ve arrived at your destination to take a hit. It’s illegal — and unsafe — to drive under the influence.
The original print version of this article was headlined “This Bud’s for You | Seven Days’ Cannabiz Guide returns in time for 4/20”
Related
This article appears in Vermont Cannabiz Guide • 2026.
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