Maine Gov. Paul LePage indicated that he’ll again veto legislation to implement the 2016 voter-approved recreational marijuana industry in his state. According to the Portland Press-Herald, LePage said he’ll strike down the bill – passed by the full Maine Legislature last week – because the measure fails to combine the state’s existing medical marijuana program […]
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Week in Review: Maine’s rec cannabis progress, John Boehner’s reversal & tech giant’s MJ interest
Maine moves a step closer to rolling out recreational marijuana, former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner does an about-face on MJ legalization, and Hewlett-Packard becomes the latest big corporation to enter the cannabis industry. Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week. All but done, finally Nearly […]
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Maine lawmakers sign off on recreational cannabis bill
The Maine state House and Senate have approved legislation to allow legal adult-use marijuana sales in the state, likely by 2019 or 2020. According to the Portland Press-Herald, lawmakers apparently have enough support to override a potential veto by Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who torpedoed an earlier rec implementation bill last year. Legislation had been held […]
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Chart: Medical marijuana patient counts, sales tumble in Maine
With adult-use sales still at least a year out in Maine, the gray market for cannabis is burgeoning – largely at the expense of the state’s regulated medical marijuana industry. Sales of MMJ through Maine’s eight licensed dispensaries fell by over $2 million in 2017 – a 9% decline – on the back of an […]
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Maine’s largest hemp grower eyes blueberry plant for processing site
The largest hemp cultivator in Maine has identified a former blueberry processing plant as its future extraction site. Future Farm Maine – a subsidiary of Vancouver, British Columbia-based Future Farm Technologies – has signed a two-year lease for 12,960 square feet of the 60,000-square-foot building in Belfast, a coastal town about 100 miles north of […]
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Week in Review: CA cannabis rollout hinders sales, Arizona mulls MMJ testing & Maine rules delayed
Scotts Miracle-Gro says California’s slow implementation of marijuana regulations is hurting sales, Arizona considers medical cannabis testing, and Maine’s governor delays MMJ regulations. Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week. Scotts’ sales decline Scotts Miracle-Gro CEO James Hagedorn said California’s slow rollout of regulations has hindered […]
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Maine governor delays implementation of medical marijuana regulations
Following the lead of a key legislative committee, Maine Gov. Paul LePage has halted implementation of regulations for the state’s medical marijuana market. The rules would have gone into effect Thursday, but LePage delayed them until May so the Health and Human Services Committee can draft a new law implementing the changes, the Portland Press Herald […]
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Maine panel moves to delay medical marijuana rules
A Maine legislative panel wants to delay medical marijuana rules that would crack down on caregivers, who are playing an increasing role in the state’s MMJ industry. The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee unanimously voted to support a bill to delay regulations that caregivers say could harm Maine’s medical marijuana industry, the Portland Press […]
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Maine delays cannabis social clubs until 2023
In another setback for Maine’s recreational marijuana industry, a legalization panel has voted to delay marijuana social clubs until 2023. The Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee voted 5-1 to stall social club licensing, the Portland Press Herald reported. Committee members said they want to wait so Maine can learn from other states looking to implement cannabis […]
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19 attorneys general urge Congress to give cannabis states access to banking
A letter to 10 major Congressional leaders from 19 attorneys general asks Congress to push through legislation that would allow states with medical or recreational marijuana laws to bank as other business do. The group suggests that Congress give special attention to measures such as the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE). Congressman Ed Perlmutter, D-Colorado, introduced […]
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Industry insiders, state officials in recreational cannabis markets vow to stay the course
Prominent figures from the nine recreational marijuana markets in the United States reacted defiantly to the announcement that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is throwing out Obama-era protections for the legalized cannabis industry. From Alaska to Maine, industry insiders in states with legal adult-use programs and politicians from both sides of the aisle spoke out against the action. But […]
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Maine accepting applications for industrial hemp licenses
Maine residents who want to grow industrial hemp can now apply for the 2018 growing season. The fee schedule for prospective growers is $100 per application, $500 per license and $50 per acre. Maine has allowed industrial hemp cultivation since 2016, but federal law requires a permit for the cannabis plant, regardless of what it’s […]
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April Issue
Amid growing criticism, NCIA chief Aaron Smith admits missteps and hopes to move the trade group in a new direction.Read the Issue