Maine’s biggest city, Portland, could soon be awash in recreational cannabis retailers after a slow implementation process.
SeaWeed Co. opened March 12, Grass Roots Marijuana Shop is expected to open Tuesday March 16 and another 31 applicants are awaiting licensing approval, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Most of those applicants are expected to be operating by November, if not sooner, Jessica Hanscombe, the city’s acting director of permits and inspections, told the newspaper.
Only one or two applicants have been denied, she noted.
Regulators currently have 59 cannabis business license applications to consider, including retailers, testing labs and manufacturing sites, according to the Press Herald.
Portland has moved relatively slowly in opening its recreational marijuana program in a state where sales launched last October.
Since then, Maine’s recreational market has generated $9.29 million in revenue, the Press Herald reported, including almost $2.5 million in January and more than $2.5 million in February.
