5 Key Take Away’s from Maine’s Recreational Marijuana Regulations

Maine published draft recreational marijuana regulations more than two years after residents voted to legalize marijuana and amid contracting chaos. In September 2018, Maine hired a consultant to help draft the regulations, which resulted in a lawsuit from a competitor. Maine is now paying the losing consultant $10,000 to review the draft rules in exchange for dropping the administrative appeal.

Maine released the draft rules in response to a freedom of information act request from the Press Herald. The rules will be formally published twenty days ahead of a hearing to receive public comments.

Five (5) key take away’s from Maine’s recreational marijuana regulations include:

• Maine chose a simple license regime that includes cultivation facility, testing facility, products manufacturing facility, and marijuana store.

• Applicants obtain a conditional license, and then must obtain approval from a local municipality that has voted to allow that class of marijuana establishment or .where the county has opted in to allowing the class of marijuana establishment.

• Except for independent testing facilities, Maine will verify that management and the majority of owners of licensees are natural persons who are Maine residents.

• Maine is charging reasonable application fees ranging from $60 to $500. Annual license fees range from $350 to $15,000.

• The regulations do not provide for social equity programs, social lounges, or temporary events.