click to enlarge - Courtesy of Rafael Quiroga
- Devon Deyhle tending his cannabis plants
Devon Deyhle was headed to New York City in December when he had an idea for a promotional video that he hoped would help build his cannabis brand.
The small indoor grower from Peacham went to an illegal weed shop in Manhattan and dropped off some of his cannabis. He recorded the whole thing — making sure his company name, Tall Truck, was visible — and uploaded it to Instagram.
Deyhle said he wanted to collaborate with the business and get some exposure by posting about it. He didn’t think much of it afterward, until he received a certified letter from the Vermont Cannabis Control Board a few weeks later. Someone had seen the clip and tipped off the regulators. While weed is legal in both Vermont and New York State, it is federally illegal, and crossing state — or international — lines with it is a big no-no.
"The CCB is committed to taking an education-first approach to enforcement and fostering a culture of compliance among licensed cannabis establishments," the board’s chair, James Pepper, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, this incident involves the exact type of behavior that could invite federal scrutiny and set back everything that we are trying to build in Vermont."
The board hit Deyhle with three violations of state rules: diverting Vermont-grown cannabis; transporting it out of state; and making a false statement to the board. The penalty: $40,000 in fines and a 60-day suspension of his grow license.
"I was completely stunned," Deyhle said of the size of the fines. But, he acknowledged, he
had broken the rules.
“It was clear that I had overstepped and that I had erred,” Deyhle said. “And I accept that.” He's since removed the video from the internet.
As part of an agreement with the board, Deyhle will pay $20,000 in fines. If he stays out of trouble for the next two years, he won’t have to pay the other $20,000 or have his license suspended.
VTDigger.org
first reported on the fines.
Deyhle grows just 750 square feet of cannabis, within the limits of his Tier 1 license, the smallest available in Vermont’s market. He has five or six different strains he sells in a few stores.
The fines are a "hard hit," he said, and a lesson learned. While it’s a lot of money, Deyhle said he realizes that the board "could have come harsher on me."
"They were fair, and they were decent to me," he said. "So I’m thankful for that."