Search Results for "maine"

Maine Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Expected by March

10/08/2019

Maine is on track to commence adult-use cannabis sales by March 2020, the Associated Press reports. The adult-use market was approved by voters in 2016 but regulations were vetoed by then-Gov. Paul LePage twice until his second veto was overridden by lawmakers.

State cannabis regulators released their industry rules in late April and the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy is expected to adopt final rules for the industry within two months.

David Heidrich, an OMP spokesman, told the AP that the state is expecting revenue from cannabis sales beginning March 15 but the agency will only be able to act quickly on complete applications from municipalities that have opted into adult-use cannabis sales; so far, just 15 of Maine’s 455 municipalities have opted in.

Under a law signed by Gov. Janet Mills (D) in June, Maine has among the strictest residency requirements for cannabis businesses in the nation. Owners or those who own a majority interest in the company must have lived in the state for four years in order to get a license; although, the rules do allow out-of-state companies to control Maine cannabusinesses.

Analysts suggest that Maine’s market will be larger than its New England counterpart, Massachusetts, with a customer base of about 173,000 and projected revenues of $107 million by 2020. Massachusetts budget officials expect $84 million in cannabis sales in the state by 2020.

Heidrich said his office expects to begin accepting applications by the end of the year.

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Farm Offers Maine’s First Pick-Your-Own Hemp Model

9/27/2019

A pick-your-own hemp farm has opened its fields in Whitefield, Maine – it’s the first such model in the state and believed to be just the second publicly accessible hemp farm in the U.S., the Portland Press Herald reports. About 50 showed up to Sheepscot General Farm to pick their own hemp plant.

The owner of the Maine farm, Ben and Taryn Marcus, planted about 7,000 plants on 3 acres following the federal legalization of hemp last year. The plants were tested for THC by the state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and did not exceed the 0.3 percent THC threshold as required by federal and state law. The couple said, if processed correctly, the plants should contain between 15 and 20 percent CBD.

A whole hemp plant is priced at $25-per-pound, while branches are priced at $35-per-pound.

“We always wanted to do a pick-your-own, like we do with strawberries. But this has gotten a lot more attention than strawberries, that’s for sure. It was a great crop to grow, easy to do, but it’s not a crop I’d want to harvest by myself. It’s time consuming. But these people, they’re thrilled to pick.” – Ben Marcus, to the Press Herald

According to a New Frontier Data report, the number of hemp licenses in the U.S. quadrupled since the passage of the farm bill and they estimate that 480,000 acres of hemp was cultivated this year – a 328 percent increase year-over-year and more hemp than was planted during the crop’s 1943 peak during World War II.

The Marcus’ said they will harvest whatever isn’t sold via the pick-your-own model next week.

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Portland, Maine Releases Cannabis Industry Regulations Proposal

8/05/2019

Proposed cannabis industry regulations by officials in Portland, Maine, would cap the number of dispensaries in the city at 20 and require an annual $10,000 licensing fee, the Portland Press Herald reports.

The proposal would ban mobile sales, deliveries, and mail-order sales; although, caregivers could still deliver to patients. However, according to a report by city staff who worked on the proposal, recreational cannabis regulations could also bring more rules for the medical side.

According to the staff memo, the working group indicated they have been trying “to generally treat medical and adult use marijuana uses similarly.”

“The challenge in doing so is that the state has adopted extensive regulations for adult use marijuana uses, but not for medical uses. The regulations for medical uses are significantly less comprehensive, leaving what staff feels are gaps in protections for consumers, the City, and neighbors. For that reason, the proposed licensing tries to address those gaps.” – Portland Cannabis Working Group, Marijuana Business Licensing Overview memo

The working group suggests three cultivation tiers – from just 500 square feet of canopy to 7,000 square feet – and two types of manufacturing licenses, one for “low hazard processes” and another for “higher hazards.” Medical and recreational sales would occur in separate dispensaries and the caregiver system in place in the state would remain intact.

The staff proposed that retail licenses should be awarded on a “first-qualified, first-licensed bases.” If a company failed to open its store within one year they would forfeit their license. Applicants would also have to employ a community relations liaison, have written permission from their landlord, disclose all of the chemicals being used in operation and processes, and have plans in place for security, waste disposal, and quality control.

The proposal also prohibits edibles from being made in shapes that could appeal to children or adding cannabis to existing consumer products.

The state Health and Human Services, Public Safety, and Economic Development committees are expected to discuss the proposal on Tuesday.

Maine legalized cannabis four years ago; however, largely due to former Republican Gov. Paul LePage have been unable to rollout the industry in earnest.

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Maine Gov. Signs Cannabis Regulation Bill

6/28/2019

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a bill codifying rules for the state’s recreational cannabis industry, the Portland Press Herald reports. The signing comes more than two years after voters in the state approved a ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for adult use, but the reforms were blocked by former Gov. Paul LePage.

“Over the course of the last several months, my administration has worked quickly to implement the law regarding Maine’s adult-use recreational marijuana market as Maine voters asked the state to do 2½ years ago. The rule development demonstrates what can be accomplished when state government works with lawmakers, industry stakeholders and the public to accomplish a shared goal.” – Mills, to the Press Herald

The law has the strictest residency requirements for cannabis businesses in the nation – owners or those who own majority interest in the company must have lived in the state for four years in order to get a license. The rules do allow out-of-state companies to control Maine canna-businesses – which was changed from the initial version of the regulations after Wellness Connection of Maine threatened to sue the state over the investment limits. Wellness Maine said those stricter rules would have effectively barred it from operating in the state due to its relationship with Acreage Holdings of New York.

The regulations include municipal control for localities to ban the industry or create their own rules if they opt in. According to the report, just 15 of the state’s 455 municipalities have opted in to allow adult-use sales.

Analysts suggest that Maine’s market will be larger than it’s New England counterpart, Massachusetts, with a customer base of about 173,000 and projected revenues of $107 million by 2020. Massachusetts budget officials expect $84 million in cannabis sales in the state by 2020. In Maine, the industry could employ as many as 5,400 people.

The rules take effect 90 days from June 20.

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Maine Cannabis Regulators Release Adult-Use Industry Draft Rules

4/23/2019

Officials in Maine have, finally, released their draft rules for the state’s regulated cannabis industry, more than two years after voter approval and two vetoes of regulation legislation by former Gov. Paul LePage.

The largest operators would be allowed 20,000 square feet of canopy of mature plants with outdoor operators paying licensing fees of $15,000 and indoor-outdoor cultivators paying $30,000, according to an outline of the rules from Bangor Daily News. Application fees for the smallest licensees, Tier 1, are set at $100; all other tiers are $500. Nursery’s would pay $60 under the proposed rules. Manufacturers, dispensaries, and testing laboratories would each pay $250 application fees; manufacturers and retailers would pay $2,500 in licensing fees while labs would pay $1,000.

Anyone involved in any aspect of the industry would need a state-issued identification card and undergo a background check by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The fee for the background check and the card would cost $50 up front and then $50 annually.

The state will use Franwell Inc.’s Metrc seed-to-sale software to track the plants grown and distributed in the state.

The rules were drafted by the Office of Marijuana Policy and underwent additional review by Freedman and Koski, a Colorado-based analytics firm and BOTEC Analysis of California will assist the state with additional rule-making for the program. The cannabis office plans to send the draft rules to the legislature before its June adjournment.

Maine sales are not expected to begin until after the rules are adopted by the legislature.

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Maine Gov. Signs Bill Aligning State & Federal Hemp Definitions

3/29/2019

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has signed legislation making it clear that the production and sale of hemp-derived food is legal in the state, the Associated Press reports. The measure is designed to align the state’s definition of hemp with the federal definition outlined in last year’s Farm Bill.

The measure does introduce hemp cultivation licenses and fees. Application fees are capped at $100, license fees at $500, and fees for “monitoring, sampling, and testing” at $100 per acre, according to the bill text.

The bill passed the House 116-1 last week and the Senate 32-1 on Tuesday.

The governor, who signed the bill as emergency legislation, said it preserves “the continued growth of the legal hemp industry” in Maine. Democratic Rep. Craig Hickman, an organic farmer, sponsored the measure after state regulators had ordered retailers to stop selling food products containing CBD in January.

“We heard from farmers, processors, retailers, health care practitioners and people who have found relief in the medicinal qualities of the nutrient dense whole food that is the hemp plant. They needed us to act.” – Hickman, to the Portland Press Herald

The bill opens the door for the sale of CBD-infused animal food but, because the law considers it food and not medicine, retailers and producers cannot make any health claims about the products.

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Bill Restoring CBD to Store Shelves Advances in Maine

2/26/2019

Maine lawmakers have advanced a bill to re-enable the sale of edible CBD products in the state following a sudden crackdown by health inspectors in January, the Portland Press-Herald reports.

Maine inspectors with the Department of Health and Human Services in January ordered that any product containing CBD must be removed from store shelves except in licensed medical cannabis facilities — even the dog treats. The action resulted from statements made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that said there can’t be legal CBD sales until the federal agency writes rules regarding CBD as a food additive.

This, despite the fact that the 2018 farm bill federally legalized industrial hemp and it’s derivatives.

LD 630, the bill in question, would be the fastest way to re-open the CBD market to Maine farmers, processors, and retailers. Many businesses have already had to lay off employees while the ban is in place. The bill would change the status of CBD in Maine to match the FDA’s definition, which would allow the products to be sold again as long as distributors do not make health-related claims.

The Maine legislature’s agriculture committee voted unanimously to advance the bill. It’s now bound for the full Maine legislature, where it will hopefully be approved in time for farmers to be able to plan for the 2019 growing season.

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Maine Bans CBD Edibles Sales Outside Dispensaries

2/04/2019

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is limiting the sale of edible CBD products in the state to medical cannabis dispensaries only, citing statements made by the FDA following the 2018 farm bill’s passage, The Press-Herald reports.

Health inspectors started informing businesses last week that they needed to remove all edible CBD products from their shelves — even the dog treats. Interestingly, products that are consumed by smoking and vaping or that are used topically are not affected by the ban.

The DHHS pointed to recent rulings by the FDA that say until regulations are created stipulating exactly how CBD products are to be sold, it is technically an unapproved food additive, despite hemp‘s newly legal status.

“We just had the carpet pulled out from under us. Hemp just got legalized nationally and now Maine wants to do a 180 and make it illegal here, when we’ve been doing it with their blessing for two years now? How did CBD suddenly get unsafe? This is ridiculous. This cannot stand. People need to know what the state is up to and demand the state keeps its hands off our CBDs.” — Dawson Julia, Owner of East Coast CBDs in Unity, via The Press-Herald

Advocates for CBD are gathering for the Rally for CBD and Hemp Farmer Rights on Tuesday inside of the Maine Statehouse at 9:00 am EST. They argue that the recent ruling is unnecessary and unfair to existing retail CBD businesses, who have been thrust into a state of “unforeseen distress,” according to the event description. The rally will also include “meet the press” and “product show and tell” opportunities for CBD entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to share their stories with lawmakers and the public.

The recent DHHS ruling doesn’t affect the state’s medical cannabis system — it only applies to regular stores selling products that are not regulated under the state-legal system. Those who need CBD tinctures and other edible products should either seek a medical cannabis card or make their CBD purchases online.

The FDA has indicated that rules are coming to allow for the interstate commerce of edible CBD products, though the timeline is uncertain even though hemp and its derivatives were legalized prior to Christmas.

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Gas Station, Cannabis Dispensary Hybrid Opens in Portland, Maine

12/14/2018

by Pat Beggan

A medical cannabis dispensary, convenience store, and gas station hybrid opened for business in Portland, Maine on Thursday, The Portland Press-Herald reports.

Patients with a medical card in Maine can now refuel their cars and their stashes. Atlantic Farms Gas N’ Grass on Warren Avenue in Portland is considered to be the first business of its kind in the state.

The gas station offers the cheapest gas in the area; the dispensary will sell gummies, tinctures, and flower. Owners converted a walk-in cooler inside the traditional gas station convenience store to be the dispensary’s storefront.

“We offer a rotating menu of the best cannabis products from the best caregivers in Maine with the convenience of, well, a convenience store.” — Jackson McLeod, cannabis caregiver and dispensary co-owner, via The Portland Press-Herald

The shop’s founding was made possible by recent changes to Maine’s nearly 20 year-old medical cannabis laws. Previously quite strict, the laws were loosened so that cannabis caregivers can hire an employee and sell cannabis direct to the medical card-holding public.

Atlantic Farms Gas N’ Grass timed things perfectly. They received a certificate of occupancy and approval from state regulators just before Portland adopted a moratorium on new cannabis businesses in October, narrowly sneaking their approval in under the wire. Only eight businesses managed to get permits between the state rule change and the Portland moratorium.

McLeod and partners have been proactive about telling drivers they can’t consume cannabis and drive, going above and beyond state regulations. They don’t want their business shut down by the local municipality. Maine’s new cannabis rules and Portland’s local moratorium are still somewhat vague and legally untested.

Only a handful of businesses across all states with cannabis legalization have “gas-and-grass” business models. Two are known in Colorado, operated by the dispensary chain Native Roots. It remains unknown what, if any, legal challenges may await these businesses in the future — for now, they are at the forefront of cannabis entrepreneurship and normalization.

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Cannabis fan leaves spread out underneath an indoor grow operation's LED grow lights.

Maine Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto, Approve Sweeping MMJ Expansions

7/10/2018

by Graham Abbott

Maine lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a medical cannabis reform bill on Monday in a sweeping override of Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto, the Press Herald reports.

The reforms will ease access to the program by allowing doctors to make cannabis recommendations for any condition that they think it might help, establishing six new medical cannabis dispensaries, permitting caregivers in the program to further expand their businesses, and giving municipalities some more local control over the industry.

The bill will become law 90 days after the end of Maine’s legislative session.

“Maine’s medical cannabis program is already one of the best in the country. The passage of L.D. 1539 will make it even stronger. More access and choice for patients. More flexibility for legal businesses. And more integrity to the overall program.” — State Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Auburn), co-chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, via the Press Herald

Maine Gov. LePage is a longstanding opponent of cannabis reforms. He railed against the state’s cannabis legalization initiative when it appeared before voters in 2016 and, earlier this year, vetoed the regulations approved by state lawmakers to establish the adult-use industry; lawmakers also voted to override that veto.

Medical cannabis advocates rejoiced the legislature’s vote.

“Seeing the House vote unanimously for a bill you believe is an amazing feeling. Maine’s medical cannabis program has always been unique and it deserves to be protected. These bills create the structure that Maine’s patients, caregivers, dispensaries and medical professionals deserve.” — Amanda Melnick, a cannabis consultant, in the report

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Maine Legislature Completes Adult-Use and MMJ Regulations

6/28/2018

by Pat Beggan

Maine legislators passed a bill on Tuesday with sweeping reforms for medical and adult-use cannabis laws in the state, the Press Herald reports. The bill is primarily focused on reforming Maine’s medical marijuana “caregiver” system — if passed, the bill would close some loopholes, give caregivers more freedom with their business, and give municipalities the ability to shut out the industry if they so desire.

The original bill left committee in March and, after passing the legislature, was vetoed by Maine Governor Paul LePage. Several amendments have since been made. Most notably, state Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, added an amendment allowing towns to shut down caregiver shops operating without explicit permission. Additionally, the bill would lift limits on the number of patients per caregiver, allow caregivers to sell up to 30 percent of each harvest to other caregivers and dispensaries, and open up caregivers to hiring more than one worker.

While most of the changes should give caregivers a better competitive chance as businesses, there are other sections of the bill that will give the state more oversight of the industry with unannounced inspections and seed-to-sale tracking.

The bill now sits again on Gov. LePage’s desk. The governor has ten days to decide whether to sign the bill into law or veto. After ten days, the bill will pass into law without the governor’s signature. LePage, who has a long history of being anti-cannabis, has yet to make any announcement of his plans or issue a statement about his position.

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Proposal Would Give Maine Municipalities Power to Ban Cannabis Retailers

6/25/2018

by Pat Beggan

On Friday, Maine state Sen. Roger Katz (R-Augusta) proposed an amendment to a pending medical marijuana reform bill that would require all caregivers to acquire municipal approval to operate a storefront, the Portland Press Herald reports. The amendment is designed to patch a loophole between the adult-use bill passed into law in May and the state’s longer-standing medical cannabis rules.

“This amendment would not stop licensed caregivers from selling out of their homes, where they grow their medical marijuana. It would, however, give municipalities control over all local retail marijuana sales – medical, recreational, all of it.” — Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, via Portland Press Herald

The medical marijuana reform bill amended by this measure, should it pass, will be the first official recognition of these retail medical marijuana stores. Maine has been calling these gray area retail stores “caregiver storefronts.”

Officials have been concerned about an explosion of unregulated retail storefronts in many historic Maine downtown business centers. The shops opened following passage of the adult-use cannabis law, which opened up a gray area for cannabis retail. Many believed that an opt-out clause in the adult-use law would have allowed municipalities to ban retail stores — but that opt-out clause only applies to purely recreational stores, not medical operations.

“The state has left us in a very difficult position. It’s not enforcing its own laws. They’re leaving it up to us to interpret the law and do the work. […] Tying the future of our downtown to a volatile market is risky.” — Nate Rudy, Town Manager of Hallowell, Maine via the Portland Press Herald

Those stores which have already acquired local municipal approval would be able to continue operating. Those that did not may be closed down if the municipalities they operate in choose to ban medical marijuana caregiver shops.

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The Maine State Capitol Building in Augusta, Maine.

Maine Lawmakers Override Gov. Veto of Adult-Use Implementation Bill

5/03/2018

by TG Branfalt

Maine lawmakers have overridden Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of the recreational cannabis implementation bill, setting the stage for sales to begin in early 2019, the Bangor Daily News reports. The House voted 109-39 while the Senate voted 28-6 to override the veto.

The re-written law is opposed by Legalize Maine. The measure makes significant changes to what the group drafted and what was, narrowly, approved by voters in 2016. The legislature removed language allowing social use clubs, cut home grow limits from six plants to three, increased the effective sales tax rate from 10 percent to 20 percent, and forces municipalities to opt-in before sales can commence in the city or town.

David Heidrich, a spokesman for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services suggested it would take “less than nine months” to finalize and implement the rules for the law, which would also need to be approved by the next legislature which will convene in January. Heidrich indicated the LePage administration will hire a consultant to assist with the rulemaking.

As passed, the measure does not cap the number of cannabis cultivation licenses in the state but, according to a Portland Press Herald report, for the first three years, the licenses will only be available to individuals who have lived and paid taxes in Maine for at least four years.

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Maine Gov. Again Vetoes Rec. Cannabis Implementation Bill

4/30/2018

by TG Branfalt

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has, again, vetoed legislation to implement regulations for the state’s voter-approved cannabis legalization regime. In his veto message, LePage cites federal law, the “failings” of the state’s medical cannabis program, and his desire to see the medical and recreational markets merged.

“As I have stated previously, a concurrent medical program with weaker regulation and a lower tax rate will undermine the regulations established by this bill. The two programs must be fully integrated.” – LePage in his Apr. 27 veto message

The measure passed both chambers of the state legislature with veto-proof margins; however, LePage’s fellow Republicans could decide to sustain his veto. Last year, Republican lawmakers voted to uphold LePage’s veto the first time the legislature approved a different implementation measure.

LePage also claims that states with legal cannabis share a “gruesome similarity” – increases in motor vehicle crashes caused by cannabis impairment.

“After one of the worst years in recent memory for crashes, fatalities, and pedestrian fatalities, we should take every step to ensure safety on Maine roads instead of making them more hazardous. No branch of government has a monopoly on good ideas; if Maine is going to legalize and regulate marijuana, it will require our joint efforts to get this important issue right.” – LePage in the veto message

Voters approved the adult-use initiative in 2016. The bill would have allowed the state to begin issuing licenses next spring. Lawmakers will take up the vetoed bill on Wednesday.

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Belfast has a very attractive shopping street which leads down to the harbor.

Maine Legislature Approves MMJ Expansion; Gov. Veto Expected

4/19/2018

by TG Branfalt

The Maine Senate has joined the House in passing legislation to expand the state’s medical cannabis program by increasing the number of dispensaries; allowing caregivers to serve more patients, hire employees, and run storefronts without fear of legal crackdown; and allowing more people to qualify for a medical cannabis card, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Who would be able to access the program under the new regime: Just about anyone, as medical providers would be allowed to certify a patient for any medical reason; eliminating the strict qualifying condition list. Parents with children who could benefit from medical cannabis treatment would only have to obtain one doctor recommendation instead of two under the current law.

Caregivers could use their 30-plant limits to serve as many patients as their harvest allows. Currently, registered caregivers can serve just five qualified patients at one time. They would also be allowed to set up storefronts and hire as many workers as they need – instead of just one. Those storefronts would need to employ the same security features as dispensaries.

Under the bill, caregivers would be required to submit to unannounced inspections and would allow municipalities to ban cannabis operations.

The state would license six more dispensaries; bringing the total to 14. The dispensaries would be allowed to operate as for-profit companies instead of their current non-profit status. Dispensaries and caregivers would also have to implement a seed-to-sale tracking system.

Gov. Paul LePage will likely veto the legislation. LePage, who currently has the recreational cannabis implementation bill on his desk, wants the recreational and medical systems to be merged and has promised to veto the recreational measure until he gets his wish. The medical cannabis bill approved by the Legislature neither merges the two programs nor increases the program tax rate.

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Maine Gov. Plans to Veto Rec. Cannabis Implementation Bill

4/17/2018

by TG Branfalt

Maine Gov. Paul LePage plans to veto the legislature-approved recreational cannabis implementation bill, the Portland Press Herald reports. However, the measure passed both the House and Senate with a veto-proof majority, so unless lawmakers change their vote LePage’s veto won’t force the Legislature to, again, rewrite the bill.

LePage opposes two regulatory structures. According to his press secretary, Julie Rabinowitz, the governor wants to see the medical and recreational programs merged. Under the law approved by lawmakers, recreational cannabis products would be taxed 20 percent, while medical cannabis would be taxed 5.5 percent, with an 8 percent tax on medical cannabis edibles. Maine Rep. Teresa Pierce, the chair of the implementation committee, said that those tax structures were recommended by Maine Revenue Services, who report directly to the Republican governor.

“We worked very hard to create a bill that addressed the governor’s concerns, as well as those of our colleagues. Our bill has received strong support in both houses. I hope the governor will reconsider, but if he vetoes it, I’d hope that we can still count on their votes.” – Pierce to the Press Herald

If LePage vetoes the measure, it would be the second time. LePage vetoed the first implementation package last November citing the conflict of legalization with federal law, its compatibility issues with the state’s medical cannabis program, regulatory concerns, and the timeliness the regime would be rolled out.

If lawmakers can override the veto, the first retail licenses are set to be awarded in spring 2019.

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Maine Senate Passes Adult-Use Cannabis Bill with Veto-Proof Majority

4/13/2018

by TG Branfalt

Maine’s Senate has passed the bill to implement the voter-approved recreational cannabis laws 24-10, making it veto-proof from Gov. Paul LePage, the Portland Press Herald reports. A final legislative review of the measure is still required before it heads to LePage but barring any issues the first recreational licenses will be issued in spring of 2019. The measure was approved by the House earlier this week.

The measure increases the sales tax rate from 10 percent to 20 percent, earmarking 6 percent of the taxes to fund enforcement. The bill also eliminates social use, deliveries, drive-thru windows, and cuts home grow plant counts from six to three. Lawmakers also eliminated the cap on cultivation licenses but will give the first licenses to residents who filed a Maine tax return for at least four years. Analysts suggest that the recreational market will generate about $23 million a year in tax revenues.

Mainers already have the right to possess and grow their own cannabis and a gray market has emerged in which cannabis is given away for a donation equivalent to the cost of the cannabis. Other gray market models include cannabis being given to someone who pays for another item or service unrelated to cannabis.

LePage has 10 days from the time the bill makes it to his desk to sign it into law, veto it (which would likely be overridden by the Legislature), or allow it to take effect without his approval.

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Maine House Passes Cannabis Implementation Bill; Senate Could Vote Today

4/11/2018

by TG Branfalt

Maine’s House has passed a bill that would see the state’s first recreational cannabis licenses issued in spring 2019, the Portland Press Herald reports. The measure passed 112-34, which gives it a vote-cushion from a potential veto by Republican Gov. Paul LePage.

What’s in the bill: Recreational retailers would be allowed to purchase product from former medical growers in order to ensure shelves are stocked on day one. Municipalities would be allowed to prohibit recreational businesses, but they would not get any of the tax revenues by doing so. Social use is not included in the measure, which also cuts home-grow limits from six to three plants.

What’s next: The bill moves to the Senate, who could take up the measure today. Supporters don’t expect the Senate to be an issue – they passed a more liberal version of the bill with a veto-proof majority last year. If passed by the Senate, it would move to the desk of LePage who would have 10 days to sign it, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature – which would avoid a legislative showdown that the early returns show he would likely lose.

Maine citizens voted to legalize cannabis in 2016.

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Maine Governor Puts New MMJ Rules on Hold Until May, At Least

2/02/2018

by TG Branfalt

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has agreed to delay the implementation of new medical cannabis rules that were set to take effect Feb.1, which included allowing unannounced caregiver inspections by the Department Health and Human Services, the Portland Press Herald reports. The new regime is on hold until at least May so the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee can have time to adopt a new plan.

“While I believe strongly that the medical marijuana program needs improved and increased regulation, waiting until May to ensure we do not create unnecessary confusion and complication is a reasonable approach,” LePage, in a letter to Rep. Deborah Sanderson, via the Press Herald.

Sanderson, who had made the request to delay the new rules, told the Press Herald that it was not an attempt “to avoid more regulation” but an attempt to do so “in a thorough, thoughtful way.”

Sanderson and LePage agree that parts of the medical cannabis program, including regulatory control, oversight, compliance, licensing, packaging, labeling, and testing, can be consolidated with the state’s voter-approved recreational cannabis program. In his letter, LePage said that having two programs overseen by different agencies “will undermine” both programs.

Last month, the state’s Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee voted 5-1 to delay social cannabis use allowances until 2023. A Legislative vote on the proposal could come this month.

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Maine Regulators Move to Delay Social-Use Cannabis Provisions Until 2023

1/18/2018

by TG Branfalt

The Maine Legislature’s Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee has voted 5-1 to delay the rollout of the social-use provisions of the voter-approved recreational cannabis bill until 2023, the Portland Press Herald reports. The move comes as lawmakers look to appease those members who don’t support measure and due to concerns over being an early adopter of a social-use scheme.

“Other states have wanted to do it, but they still haven’t. We need to get (the bill) passed, then we need to find out what the problems with social clubs might be. (An extension) will give us time to know what we’re doing. I feel that it is imperative that we do the right thing, and we don’t know enough to do the right thing now. This way, we’d have the bill done, our rules made, and then if we want to go ahead with social clubs, we can.” – Sen. Joyce Maker, to the Press Herald

According to the report, when lawmakers failed to reach a two-thirds majority necessary to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of the implementation package – which fell just 17 votes short – it was believed the cause was hesitation about the social-use provision.

“I think we really need them – ultimately, people need a place to go – but if this is a part of moving this bill forward, I’m in agreement.” – Rep. Lydia Blume, to the Press Herald

Social-use becoming a hot topic in adult-use legalization. Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission, last month, approved a social-use policy and the rules could be included in the final regulations package, expected in mid-March. Voters in Denver, Colorado approved their own social-use measure last November, which is expected to rollout in July. Last March, Colorado’s Senate passed a measure that allows municipalities to permit social-use sites, clubs, and events; however, that move has not yet been approved by the house. Regulators in Alaska are also considering allowing social-use – but members of the Alaska Marijuana Control Board are split on what would be allowed under the regime.

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Patricia Rosi: The Wellness Connection in Maine

1/17/2018

by TG Branfalt

Patricia Rosi is CEO of the Wellness Connection, a medical cannabis company operating four dispensary locations throughout Maine and which serves more than 11,000 patients.

Patricia joined our podcast host TG Branfalt last month to talk about her experience at the head of one of Maine’s most progressive new companies, what the future of adult-use cannabis looks like in Maine, and why the Americans for Safe Access advocacy group has lauded Maine’s medical cannabis program as perhaps the best regime for patients. The two also discuss the work that members of the Wellness Connection team have put into making a positive impact in their local communities via donations, volunteer work, and/or partnerships with local nonprofits — all in the name of debunking cannabis myths and shedding the stigma that has stalked the plant for decades.

You can listen to the interview via the player below, or scroll further down to read a full transcript of this week’s Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode.

Listen to the interview:

Read the transcript:

TG Branfalt: Hey, there. I’m your host, TG Branfalt, and you are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast, where we try to bring you actionable information and normalize cannabis through the stories of ganjapreneurs, activists and industry stakeholders. Today I’m joined by Patricia Rosi, CEO of the Wellness Connection of Maine, which operates four locations and has more than 11,000 patients in the state. How are you doing this afternoon?

Patricia Rosi: I am doing great, here in Maine today. Thanks for having me.

TG Branfalt: I’m delighted. We’re practically neighbors. I’m in Burlington, Vermont, so I talk to a lot of Maine-ers on a pretty regular basis, they come down here for the hemp festival. And so it’s really great to have one of my neighbors on the show. So before we get into what you guys do over there at the Wellness Connection of Maine, I want to know about you. How’d you end up in the cannabis space?

Patricia Rosi: That was sheer luck. By trade and training, I’m a marketing executive. I’m originally from France and I live in Maine now for 18 years. I relocated from Paris, France to Portland, Maine, so that was a big jump. I’ve been doing all my past career in advertising agencies and also building advertising agencies. And back in 2011, when really cannabis was not as sexy a topic that it is currently, a company by the name of Wellness Connection of Maine was desperately recruiting for their Board of Directors. One thing leading to another, I joined the Board and really fell in love with the mission and the idea of becoming an actor for change in society and to provide improved quality of life for people that needed it. The one thing lead to another, started doing the marketing, then became the COO and now I am the CEO. So all things considered, I’ve been with Wellness for the last six years.

TG Branfalt: So how did you leverage your previous experience in marketing, communications and branding into this new role, this new industry?

Patricia Rosi: Well, I think it’s playing the basics and the fundamentals of marketing, you know, know your consumer, understand what they’re seeking, their barrier to entry, their insights. Our industry, even though now it’s a topic that is much more mainstream and easy to discuss, there’s still the same stereotype about who we are, what we offer, the service we provide. So there’s a lot of stereotypes to debunk and providing a lot of comfort and answers for people. So really understanding the psyche of the consumers, making them feel comfortable and bringing to life, not just the store, but really more of a wellness community experience to life and making it this non-judgmental zone where people can feel comfortable asking us question and accessing marijuana.

TG Branfalt: So can you give us an overview of Maine’s medical cannabis program and explain what sets it apart from other states that led to its top ranking by the advocacy organization Americans for Safe Access?

Patricia Rosi: Sure. I think what sets Maine apart is we were one of the pioneering states. Now every year there’s multiple states coming online, whether with medical programs or even recreational, but Maine started in the late 1990’s, in 1998, having the first referendum when it comes to medical marijuana for patients. And this, as we know it now, that brought to life the dispensaries, was this past referendum was passed in 2009. So I think what sets us apart is really this pioneering spirit and this desire to provide access to an alternate form of care via marijuana.

One of the different shading factors from Maine is the fact that it’s a system that is set with two type of providers, dispensaries on one side. There’s eight state licensed dispensaries and next to it, there’s over 3,000 caregivers which, by design, are meant to care for a smaller group of individuals. So not all states offer this caregiver model and I think that’s something that sets us apart, and also provides the needed access because Maine is such a vast state, that guarantees that everybody can access geographically medical cannabis. I think also the reason why it was ranked so high by Americans for Safe Access was the tight regulation and system from the onset and the care about making sure this was done right was really important right from the get-go.

TG Branfalt: And so as a dispensary, you said there’s this two sort of separate, there’s the dispensaries and then there’s the caregivers. What is your role in that system? And by that, I mean how closely do you work with caregivers in the state?

Patricia Rosi: I think in the nascent industry, we really need to work at building professional networks and collaboration. The Maine system by its design makes it a little challenging for us to collaborate with caregivers, in the sense that we cannot openly buy from each other — there’s no wholesale system, if you will. So it’s difficult for us to collaborate, but there’s a lot of, in the recent years, there’s much more collaboration with caregivers than there used to be in the past. I think it’s one very positive development of adult use coming into line is all us stakeholders in the industry, in the future of what the recreational market would look like, has opened and enabled a lot more collaboration between all the stakeholders.

TG Branfalt: So with the, as you said, the slow increased collaboration and sort of the outstanding nature of Maine’s program, is there any improvements that advocates and people in the industry are looking for in Maine?

Patricia Rosi: Well, I think the biggest improvement that we’re looking it, as a market in general, is creating a level playing field for all of us to participate and be successful at it, while providing wider access to cannabis, and I think the best vehicle for this is the implementation of adult use. The referendum that was passed in 2009, we can keep every year trying to place legislation that would fix one thing and another, but it takes a long time to fix a bill that was passed, so really adult use could be this avenue by which … and I think that was one of the key learnings from Colorado, it’s really important to not view the cannabis market as silos and bring down the silos and integrate right from the get-go adult use in medical and make sure there’s a lot of harmonization between all policies and the opportunities on each side. So I think that’s the biggest thing we’re looking forward is to have this integrated or harmonized market start to develop in Maine.

TG Branfalt: So we’re definitely gonna get into the adult use stuff a little bit later. But before we do that, I gotta ask you, I read that PTSD ranks first among the conditions that your patients are granted access to the state medical cannabis program. And I’ve spoken to veterans, I’ve spoken to a lot of people who, we discussed the PTSD thing, but I’ve never directly spoken to any patients or anything like that. Can you sort of give me and the audience an idea of how medical cannabis helps patients with PTSD?

Patricia Rosi: Sure. So first PTSD, when it became an accepted condition in 2013, I was expecting just veterans, who are often, you associate PTSD with veterans. What we discovered is that there’s also, interestingly enough, another audience under the PTSD umbrella, which unfortunately is women, victim from domestic violence. So that was something we didn’t really expect, but nevertheless, whatever the origin of the trauma is, it’s still something that we provide a lot of relief, when it comes to appeasing the anxiety, the insomnia. One gentlemen who’s with us since we opened, his PTSD was so profound that he could not sleep more than two hours at a time. So working with him and identifying a daily regimen via medical cannabis, it is definitely helping to have real nights, or at least to extend that to four to six hours, which for him is unbelievable progress, and also reducing his overall anxiety.

The way we work with each patient, whether it’s PTSD or any other condition, is really the relationship we create with them, asking questions, trying things, improving as we learn and refining this very personal regimen that we’ll tailor their specific condition. So how we do that is a lot of one-on-one conversation, but we’ve also done a lot of work in the communities with associations, whether it’s a veteran association or association dealing with domestic violence, we have a better understanding with people that are really focused on those conditions of how we can serve folks. And I would say, in everything we do in cannabis, there’s not a set way of addressing a condition. It’s ultimately very individual and personal, so we always evolve our practice as we serve more people.

TG Branfalt: So I definitely want to talk to you about some of your charitable acts and again we definitely want to talk about the adult use regime, but before we do that, we gotta take a break. This is Ganjapreneur.com Podcast, I’m TG Brandfalt.

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TG Branfalt: Hey, welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast. I’m your host TG Brandfalt, here with Patricia Rosi, CEO of the Wellness Connection of Maine. So you had mentioned briefly, before the break, you were talking about you sort of charitable reach, you guys provide support for a variety of organizations, including the Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope and Healing, the United Way, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Wreaths Across American — that’s really stunning and really sort of warms my heart.

I don’t think that you see enough of this, let alone in one industry compared to just in general. But why was this, making these connections, important to you as a CEO and maybe for the industry at large?

Patricia Rosi: I think its paramount because it demonstrates, it’s the ultimate sign that we can give our communities that cannabis is not what they think it is. I’m a true believer of cannabis being a positive stimulus to communities and to life in the state. If you look at Maine, there’s not a lot of economic stimulus or developing industries. Cannabis is in front of us could be a tremendous opportunity to create jobs. My company has now 80 full time jobs in Maine. Only 5% of Maine companies have more than five employees and here I am “selling weed” and with 80 employees that are full-time. So being very proud of being able to demonstrate to folks in our communities that cannabis can be a positive force of change.

Giving back, whether it’s promoting education or helping like-minded charities, is really important. It’s part of our mission, it’s part of our DNA since we started. It equates to about 10% of our gross revenues and we give back in a lot of forms, whether it’s a sponsorship, also volunteering. We’ve given away over 400 hours last year. We also have started an hospice program, where we provide free cannabis for hospice patients, because if you want cannabis to stand as something that improves quality of life, well quality of end-of-life also matters, but also quality of life in your communities is really important. So when we work with municipalities, we are always here to help. If a house burns down and they are raising funds, we’re here. If you need to clean a trail, our staff will be there and so on and so forth. I think it’s very important that our industry, as we get more professional and a little more mainstream, becomes really a regular player in our communities.

TG Branfalt: So you mentioned that your staff will help clean trails and participate in these charitable acts, is that something that you look for in your staff during the hiring process? Is that something that’s brought up to them? What do you look for in employees?

Patricia Rosi: What do I look for in employees? I look for passion, professionalism and loyalty. It’s hard in this industry to get the right talents. Some people think it’s gonna be much easier than the reality is. Working in the cannabis industry is an adventure. I always joke that I don’t have a job, but it’s an ever ongoing adventure because that’s the reality of it. Policy change, everything changes on you at any point, so you need to have resilience, drive and also professionalism. I’m blessed to have a great team of experts surrounding me, whether it’s cultivation or dispensary service, and it’s important to get people that share the same vision and common ground. So it is understood that if anybody joins the company, then we will all participate in those community giving acts.

Actually I’m really proud of my team because for this holiday season, we are adopting a family and I think this family altogether will be totally overwhelmed by the amount of gifts. We just took a photo in the office here. It’s incredible how everybody has gone above and beyond what had been assigned to them for purchase. I’m really, really proud of all my staff and us as a company in our willingness to give back. That’s a passion point of mine, but also of Wellness Connection.

TG Branfalt: That’s a really incredible story. I had no idea you guys were doing that this year.

Thank you on behalf of somebody who is plugged into this industry and really likes seeing people helping out the community. I want to talk to you about adult use, but we’ve gotta take a break. This is Ganjapreneur.com Podcast, TG Branfalt.

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TG Branfalt: Hey, welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast. I’m TG Branfalt with Patricia Rosi, CEO of the Wellness Connection of Maine. So I gotta talk to you about adult use. I was super pumped when you guys voted to legalize cannabis for adults. Some of the program has already rolled out, such as the home grow provisions and the personal possession provisions, but Paul LePage has basically blocked the program from being rolled out. So from an industry point of view, what has been your opinion, your sort of feeling on this whole process, from the time that they legalized until where we are at right now?

Patricia Rosi: I share your frustration, a year into it and the only thing that has really happened and unfolded in our communities are confusion, massive state of confusion for everybody. The referendum, as you said, late January this year, they allowed for use, possession, transportation and gifting, which is important, and they put a moratorium on licensing. So what is created is an explosion of demand without a set license supply channel, if you will. So this is, I think, not a sound environment because everybody got really confused when it comes to, you know, I’m a medical patient, do I need a certification anymore. Medical providers were thinking, do I even need to certify people and, it’s okay, now I can buy a t-shirt and be gifted an ounce with it. And there’s all those entrepreneur creativity that happened on the fringe and created a very explosive, unregulated market, which I don’t think is a sound way to implement adult use.

The Legislative created this committee, the Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee, that has spent … and I give it to them, I commend them for the time they spent learning about the industry, with a lot of public hearings. For seven months they met every week, multiple times a week at times, hearing everybody, bringing a draft of what they saw was a comprehensive way of bringing adult use to reality. And of course it’s not perfect, but is any piece of law ever perfect? And the Governor had some good points, one being the program, medical and adult use should be harmonized, but the timing of his decision is very frustrating because now nothing is happening.

Now rumblings are that when the session resumes early January, they might consider extending the moratorium yet again for another year, so that makes for an environment which is … hold on, my phone is ringing, sorry about that. What was I saying? So that makes for potentially yet another year of confusion and turmoil and all these interesting gifting approaches that are happening everywhere surrounding us. And one more year of that, I’m interested to see, okay, well, if adult use is in 2019, how are they going to put the genie back in the bottle and put order to this … I think this could have been done differently. There could have been some sort of interim measure or market or early transition that could have been created, leveraging the medically known license players and starting to generate revenue and taxation, so that then you could have funds to do it differently. But as of now, everything is frozen in paralysis, so I think all of us stakeholders are pretty much collectively frustrated with this process.

TG Branfalt: So you had mentioned that LePage has said that he was looking for a marriage of both the rec and the medical cannabis industries. What are you sort of looking for in the regulations when they’re finally approved?

Patricia Rosi: Well, there’s a lot of, for instance, an example of our organization, as of now, under the medical rules, there’s no packaging regulation. There’s some kernel of quality control, but there’s no testing, but there’s some in medical. So all of this should be part of the both sides of the equation, because quality control, public safety are very important elements.

Taxation is another part of how making or doing the success of the industry, there’s a lot of things like that that should be considered. And they were beginning, in the Omnibus bill that was put forth by this implementation committee, there was definitely an attempt at doing that and clarifying a lot those points.

TG Branfalt: Did that committee look for industry input? Or did the industry have any say in those rules?

Patricia Rosi: Well, we were part of all the public hearings. We’ve all hosted, all stakeholders have hosted visits of our different facilities, to make sure that the education was comprehensive in all perspective. There was pretty much a public hearing every week, so we’ve had input. We’ve been able to express concerns, bring input, offer solutions, so we’ve been heard. Some made it in the final bill, some didn’t, because that’s the way it goes. Right? So again, no bill is always perfect for all stakeholders, but there was definitely a collaborative process that was implemented and that’s why we were all so disappointed in all the way at the end, when we were not able to override the veto.

TG Branfalt: In your dealings with these lawmakers, have they generally been open to recreational … I know that it was a narrow passage there. And is LePage really that sticking point right now, that giant hurdle that needs to be overcome?

Patricia Rosi: Yeah, I mean for the implementation plan to get fast tracked, yes, the biggest hurdle would be the administration and some of the Republican faction. When it comes to working with the committee, it’s always the same path or pattern that you see. When you talk to anybody about cannabis, the conversation starts with a lot of assumptions, stereotypes. And then really bringing more facts or more reality to answer or debunk those stereotypes and then you can have really a more educated conversation, if you will. So there’s always an initial phase, which is always a little bit awkward, but people have reservation about implementing adult use, and I understand why.

The last time this happened was prohibition with alcohol, so it’s not a process that everybody’s familiar with. There’s a lot of myth. There’s a lot of reality. There’s a lot of different levels, too. I mean, the way licenses would be awarded in Maine, there would be a pre-approval, if you will, from the state, and then a final approval from municipalities. So there was a great deal of involvement from various municipalities about how do I even deal with that. So there’s so many questions not being answered as of now that that creates reservation and limitation, but that comes in there with pushing society into accepting something that is not necessarily easy to accept or that hasn’t felt right to everybody. Right?

So I think it’s part of our mission. When you’re in the industry, you’re not just running a company or you’re not just producing things, it’s also changing, being an actor of social change and acceptance, so having a lot of educated conversation with all those various stakeholders, really understanding their perspective and having informed conversation about the topic. Not trying convert them necessarily to our point of view, but bring more facts to help them process.

TG Branfalt: How much of your time, over the last year, have you spent debunking myths in front of lawmakers?

Patricia Rosi: You’ve got a sense that I spent a lot of time over there in Augusta, Maine. Umm, a lot. A lot, I’ll leave it at that.

TG Branfalt: So I want to wrap this up. This has really been awesome to chat with you. But I gotta ask you, what advice do you have? You have a very diverse background than a lot of people who come into this space. I’ve talked to people when the background’s real estate and the background’s finance, and there’s very few people that I’ve talked to that are from a marketing sort of background that didn’t end up in just marketing for the cannabis industry. So what’s your advice for people, entrepreneurs, maybe who have a background that might not, on the surface, sort of fit in this industry. What’s your advice for them, if they were looking to get involved in the cannabis space?

Patricia Rosi: Oh, my god, where to start. You need to be passionate about it because it’s not just as simple as opening a store. You need to be really passionate and motivated by it, by either social change or cannabis, but it takes some resilience and it’s not a walk in the park. I think it’s like operating a start-up on steroids. Make sure you find the right financial partners, surround yourself with a team you can trust of experts, and be ready for an adventure. And also understand the responsibilities that come with it. Operating a cannabis company puts a lot of projectors or puts you in the spotlight more often than not, so be ready to model and demonstrate what we can all collectively do and try to see beyond just, oh, I’m just gonna open a little store here, but think about influence and impact in communities. I think it’s really important to make a difference.

TG Branfalt: And where can people find out more about you, the Wellness Connection of Maine and sort of what you guys have going on?

Patricia Rosi: So we have a website, at mainewellness.org. If people have thoughts or questions, they can find me on LinkedIn. On our website on mainewellness.org, you can also find there’s a contact info line, so they can use that. And we’re also very active in all social media, so if you want to know what’s going on, Facebook, Instagram, you name it, we’re there.

TG Branfalt: Awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to come on the show. You’re a wealth, a fountain of knowledge, and it’s really great to get somebody from the East Coast who’s got their finger on the pulse of that market. Thank you so much.

Patricia Rosi: Thanks for having me, that was a lot of fun. Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions and have a great time.

TG Branfalt: I’ll swing by when I’m driving through Maine.

Patricia Rosi: Yeah, be sure to stop by, absolutely.

TG Branfalt: You can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast in the Podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com and then in the Apple iTunes Store. On the Ganjapreneur.com website, you will find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs updated daily, along with transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. This episode was engineered by Trim Media House. I’ve been your host, TG Branfalt.

End

Augusta, Maine Approves 6-Month Adult-Use Moratorium

12/22/2017

by TG Branfalt

The Augusta, Maine City Council has passed a six-month moratorium on recreational cannabis sales, retroactive to Dec. 1, CentralMaine.com reports. The decision, which passed 5-3, delays adult-use sales in the state capitol until at least June 1, 2018.

Proponents of the moratorium argued that the city needed more time to develop rules and regulations for the industry; opponents of the moratorium argued its purpose.

Councilor At-large Marci Alexander: “The longer period of time is really to enable us to do the work that needs to be done for zoning. I’ve had constituents reach out to me, saying they want this planning process to take place and they have great concerns about a retail establishment or warehouse next to their homes.”

Ward 4 Councilor Anna Blodgett: “I will not be supporting the moratorium, as discussed a meeting ago with Sen. (Roger) Katz. It really will not serve any purpose. I’m not a user (of marijuana), but we’re looking at this like it’s poison. It seems we’re frantic about it. But we love it when a brewery opens. And alcohol, to me, is about on the same level.”

In November, state lawmakers passed recreational cannabis implementation laws; however, the bill package was vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage and the House was unable to muster the two-thirds support to override the governor’s veto.

The statewide moratorium is set to expire Feb. 1; although some Republican lawmakers have indicated they want to push the program launch to January 2019.

End

Medical cannabis plants housed in grow cages inside of an indoor grow.

Maine’s New MMJ Rules Permit Surprise Caregiver Inspections

11/09/2017

by TG Branfalt

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services released new rules governing how the state will oversee medical cannabis caregivers in the state, allowing unannounced inspections and rolling out a plant-to-patient tracking system, the Portland Press Herald reports. The new rules, which are set to take effect on Feb. 1, drew the ire of caregivers leading to one lawyer calling the new rules “a big invasion of privacy for small caregivers growing in their home.”

“It means that they have to be ready to open their door, at any time of the day or night, because they are growing medicine for sick people,” said Matt Dubois, a Bangor-area attorney who represents cannabis businesses. “That can make every knock at the door feel very intimidating, make them feel like criminals when they’re not.”

Under the current regime, the state can only inspect caregivers if they receive a complaint; but the caregivers have the right to refuse immediate entry and plan to reschedule a visit when they have an attorney present, Dubois said, adding that the new rules do suggest that officials will give caregivers a day notice before the inspection. The rules also require that caregivers fill out so-called “trip tickets” to document the movement of cannabis from a grow site to wherever they dispense the medicine to a patient. Under current rules, only dispensaries are required to fill out these tickets.

The new rules also prohibit telemedicine examinations for medical cannabis patients, which Dubois said will make it harder for rural Maine patients to access the program.

In Maine, medical cannabis patients can receive their medicine from either the state’s eight licensed dispensaries or from the 3,200 licensed caregivers. There are currently 50,000 registered patients, which has climbed 36 percent year-over-year, the report says.

End

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