The Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee heard a number of regulatory proposals for the cannabis industry on May 5 that ranged from testing mandates, to oversight reforms, and changes to the state’s medical cannabis program.
Among the more far-reaching proposals is LD 104, titled “An Act to Protect the Health of Medical Cannabis Patients and Streamline the Mandatory Testing of Cannabis.” Sponsored by Rep. Marc Malon (D-Biddeford) on behalf of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), this bill introduces new health and safety rules on packaging and labeling, representing a comprehensive overhaul of the current testing framework for medical cannabis.
Rep. Anne Graham (D-North Yarmouth), also a VLA Committee member, has introduced LD 1847, which would align medical cannabis testing and tracking with the standards used for adult-use cannabis. Currently, medical marijuana is subject to a less strict regulatory regime. The bill also aims to allocate a portion of excise tax revenues to fund public health and safety campaigns and establishes a study group to further examine medical cannabis regulation.
Senator Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec), Senate chair of the VLA Committee, submitted LD 1840, amending the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act. The legislation would prevent DAFS from publicly posting caregiver information online and explicitly authorize caregivers to sell or deliver cannabis at events, their business sites, or directly to qualifying patients and dispensaries.
In contrast to the proposals by Democrats, Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland), who is known for his libertarian approach to public policy, introduced two bills, LD 1620 and LD 1672, both aimed at limiting government’s oversight of the industry.
- LD 1620, “An Act to Amend the Laws Regulating the Testing of Adult Use Cannabis and Adult Use Cannabis Products,” would restrict DAFS from imposing extensive testing requirements on caregivers, and
- LD 1672, “An Act to Allow Participation in the Adult Use Cannabis Tracking System to Be Voluntary,” proposes that participation in the state’s tracking system be optional for licensees in the adult-use market.
All of the bills mentioned have completed their public hearings and are now under review in committee work sessions. Lawmakers may amend, consolidate, or rewrite the proposals before issuing a final recommendation. Each bill will ultimately receive a vote of “Ought to Pass” or “Ought Not to Pass” before moving to the full Legislature for debate.
