Available license types for adult-use marijuana are:

• Cultivation Facility License 

• Products Manufacturing Facility License 

• Marijuana Store License 

• Testing Facility License

 

Qualifying Conditions

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

• Cachexia or wasting syndrome

• Cancer

• Chronic pain

• Crohn’s disease

• Epilepsy

• Glaucoma

• Hepatitis C

• HIV or AIDS

• Huntington’s disease

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Nausea

• Nail-patella syndrome

• Parkinson’s disease

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 

 

History

Maine legalized medical marijuana with Ballot Question 2 on November 2nd, 1999. The law was modified in 2009, making way for a dispensary system. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services regulates the medical marijuana program. The law allowed for 8 not-for-profit state-licensed dispensaries. These 8 licenses were awarded in 2010.

 

In November 2016, Question 1 approved the recreational use, retail sale, and taxation of marijuana. On April 27, 2018, the Governor vetoed a bill to establish a regulated recreational marijuana market in Maine. May 2, 2018, the Legislature overrode the veto and approved the bill, LD 1719. On June 27, 2019, the Governor signed  P.L. 2019, ch. 491 into law pertaining to the recreational (adult-use) marijuana market. This law took effect on September 18, 2019. 

 

The Office of Marijuana Policy, which will oversee the adult-use market, began accepting testing laboratory applications on November 18, 2019, and will begin accepting cultivation, manufacturing and retail license applications on December 5, 2019. Applicants must obtain approval from local jurisdictions before receiving final approval. Recreational sales are anticipated to begin in March 2020.

 

Other State Information:

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According to the Marijuana Policy Project Main has 45,940 registered medical marijuana patients as of December 31, 2018. Accounting for 3.43% of the population of Maine.

 

Maine is currently implementing its adult-use program. Economists say the three-year wait for stores to open will have cost Maine more than $82 million in taxes and 6,100 industry jobs.

 

Regulators are estimating Maine will record its first adult-use sales on March 15, 2020 or 1,223 days after voters narrowly approved full-scale legalization at the polls.

 

Maine’s recreational marijuana market will top $158 million in sales its first year and almost $252 million in its second, according to research from New Frontier Data, a national marijuana analytics consulting firm.

 

Some long term forecast estimate marijuana sales value of approximately $432 million in Maine in 2025.

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A dispensary license is required to acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, sell, supply or dispense medical marijuana, paraphernalia or related supplies and educational materials to qualifying patients and their primary caregivers. Maine currently is not accepting applications for medical marijuana dispensaries.

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On June 27, 2019, the Governor signed  P.L. 2019, ch. 491 into law pertaining to the recreational (adult-use) marijuana market. This law took effect on September 18, 2019. The Office of Marijuana Policy, which will oversee the adult-use market, began accepting testing laboratory applications on November 18, 2019, and will begin accepting cultivation, manufacturing and retail license applications on December 5, 2019. Applicants must obtain approval from local jurisdictions before receiving final approval. Recreational sales are anticipated to begin in March 2020.

​

On November 2nd, 1999,  Maine legalized medical marijuana on Ballot Question 2. Modifications for improvements were made in 2009, allowing for a dispensary system in the state. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services regulates the medical marijuana program. The law allowed for 8 not-for-profit state-licensed dispensaries. Those 8 licenses were awarded in 2010. Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law allowing the sale of food and food additives containing CBD within the state, This will not only open up markets in Maine, but it is also a crucial step given the FDA’s continued regulation of CBD.