Maine cannabis pioneer embarking on new career path

A marijuana industry pioneer is leaving her post at New England’s most prominent dispensary to pursue new opportunities in her home state of Maine and nationally.

A former Catholic high school teacher, Becky DeKeuster co-founded the Wellness Connection of Maine and helped the dispensary obtain four of eight medical licenses available in the state in 2010.

She developed a high profile in Maine and nationally for her efforts to educate patients and the public, including setting up a program to serve patients in hospice care. She most recently served as education and patient liaison at the Wellness Connection.

DeKeuster said she hopes to avail herself of the new opportunities and challenges presented by the passage of recreational marijuana in Maine last month.

“My career over the past 15 years has been driven by my desire to break down barriers and increase safe legal access to cannabis,” DeKeuster said in a statement. “I look forward to using my skills and expertise to continue shaping policy and discourse about cannabis, here in Maine and nationally.”