Nearly four years after Maine voters approved cannabis legalization at the ballot box, the will of the people will finally go into full effect today as legal marijuana sales for adults begin! Adults 21 years of age or older with a valid ID can purchase up to 2.5 ounces of a combination of marijuana and marijuana concentrate that includes no more than five grams of marijuana concentrate. It remains illegal to consume marijuana in public spaces. Maine municipalities must opt in to the adult-use…

Maine’s Office of Marijuana Policy has released a second draft of their proposed rules regarding the state’s adult-use marijuana regulatory framework. The updated draft can be found here. On Thursday, May 23, a public hearing will be held in Portland on these rules. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard. Here are the details: What: Public hearing on adult-use marijuana rulesWhere: Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland, Maine 04101 When: Thursday, May 23 at 8:00 a.m. If…

Yesterday, the Department of Financial Services released the first draft of the rules governing Maine’s adult-use marijuana program. These rules come from the work the Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee did over the last two years. As required by the Maine Administrative Procedures Act, a final draft will be provided at least 20 days prior to the date of a scheduled public hearing. Following the public hearing, an additional 10-day public comment period will occur. The rules cover cultivation…

If you live in Maine, click here to reach out to your lawmakers today. Aside from implementing Maine's new adult-use marijuana law, there are other marijuana policy bills being heard in Augusta. Four Maine legislators, from both parties, have introduced bills that would help Mainers with past marijuana convictions. You can read more the bills and sponsors here. Earlier this month, the Portland Press Herald published an editorial in favor of these reforms, saying: "Times change, and laws need to…

Get your free tickets today for Maine's premier canna-networking event! The Marijuana Policy Project will be hosting another great cannabis industry mixer in Portland. Lots of new and exciting developments are happening in Maine, and this event will be a perfect place to meet other folks in the industry. Here are the details: What: Cannabis Industry Mixer When: Thursday, February 7, 2019 Where: Cloudport CoWorking, located at 63 Federal Street, Portland, ME 04101 Why: To network with other Mainers…

LD 1539 improves Maine’s medical marijuana program for patients and industry Today, the omnibus medical marijuana bill that was passed last spring goes into effect. The bill makes major improvements to Maine’s medical marijuana program. Among some of the changes, the legislation: removes the qualifying condition list so that any Mainer can use medical marijuana so long as their doctor thinks it would be helpful for them; eliminates the requirement that a patient must designate a caregiver or…

Earlier this month, the Maine Legislature overrode Gov. LePage’s vetoes of LD 238 and LD 1539, bills to improve Maine’s medical marijuana program. LD 238 allows for third-party extraction of medical marijuana. LD 1539 is the culmination of the Health and Human Services Committee’s session-long work reforming the medical marijuana program. The bipartisan omnibus reform bill: removes the qualifying condition list so that any Mainer can use medical marijuana so long as their doctor thinks it would…

This week, the Maine House and Senate overwhelmingly passed LD 1719, which would set up Maine’s adult-use marijuana market. MPP was neutral on the bill, as it removed social club licensing from the initiative voters passed in 2016. LD 1719 also reduced the number of plants adults can cultivate at home from six to three flowering plants. That said, it’s been 18 months since Maine voters passed Question 1, and it is time that adults had a legal place to purchase marijuana. Given the veto-proof margins…

Since the formation of the Joint Select Committee on Marijuana Legalization Implementation in Maine, a few bills have been progressing steadily. The first bill is LD 243, which would transfer the authority to oversee adult-use marijuana from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS). The Bureau would be responsible for licensing adult-use marijuana businesses,…

A voter-approved initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Maine officially took effect Monday, making it legal for adults 21 and older to possess and grow limited amounts of marijuana. Under Question 1, which voters approved in November and Gov. Paul LePage certified on December 31, adults 21 years of age and older can legally possess up to two and a half ounces of marijuana, grow up to six flowering marijuana plants and 12 non-flowering plants, and possess the marijuana harvested from those plants…