Updates to state laws should make it easier to obtain medical marijuana
Following their passage this past summer, new laws introduced to Maine’s legislation have now gone live. The changes should allow state residents to obtain medical marijuana products easier, giving a considerable amount of relief to many who suffer from a range of ailments.
Going forward, medical marijuana will be made more readily available by eliminating the list of medical conditions that previously were the only qualified forms of being able to receive a marijuana prescription. Additionally, a new inspection regime is going to be introduced that will help improve safety and protect consumers. Businesses will also now be able to share marijuana supplies, meaning that there will be a more robust array of products. Lastly, local governments will now be able to control their medical marijuana businesses.
The mayor of Portland, Ethan Strimling, is excited about the changes. He explained, “Often people, as we were having this conversation, would say, ‘Hey, hey, wait a minute, you know cigarettes and alcohol, why not just do the same for cannabis-marijuana?’ Well, we know that with cigarettes and alcohol over 100 years of our country’s history, 200 years, we really did not do very well in terms of how we controlled those substances and how we made sure it didn’t do a lot of harm.”
Portland is in the process of drafting zoning laws to govern marijuana dispensaries, as well as laws for recreational marijuana sales, which is scheduled to begin next year. Strimling indicated that the city is moving quickly, hoping to counter the marijuana black market that exists in the city.
