Maine: Regulators Confident That Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Will Begin Next Spring

Originally published at blog.NORML.org

Regulators at the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy affirmed this week that they expect adult-use marijuana sales to begin in the spring of 2020.

A spokesperson for the agency said that regulators anticipate accepting applications from prospective cannabis retailers by the end of 2019 and that licensed stores should be operational by March 2020. That estimate is consistent with the timeline regulators provided this past June when lawmakers finalized regulations governing state-licensed marijuana sales.

Former Maine state lawmaker and current NORML Board Member Diane Russell said: “While Maine’s previous Governor worked hard to obstruct the will of the voters, it is refreshing to see the incoming administration take steps to turn things around so quickly. After having pushed for legalization while in the state house, I’m excited to see that politicians and regulators are now finally on the same page with respect to fully implementing adult-use cannabis regulations and sales, and that we are on track to open this new economic sector next spring.”

Maine voters initially approved the legalization of cannabis sales in November 2016 by passing a statewide initiative, but lawmakers – led by former Republican Gov. Paul LePage – repeatedly took steps to delay the law’s implementation.

As per state rules, retailers will not be permitted to sell customers more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and/or five grams of concentrate in a single day. Retailers will need to first receive local approval prior to applying for a state operator’s license.