The agency regulating the sale of adult-use cannabis in Maine is proposing a new set of rules designed to increase consumer access. The changes, which come amid record-breaking sales, are primarily based on two bills passed in the Legislature this year: one intended to reduce the stigma around cannabis and another to correct an oversight in a bill passed last year allowing cannabis to be sold at events such as concerts and festivals.
The proposed rules are also a nearly complete overhaul and rewrite or a “repeal and replace” of the original guidelines, which Maine Office of Cannabis Policy policy director Gabi Pierce said is intended to make the roughly 100-page rule that regulates adult-use cannabis in Maine more user friendly with updated formatting, organization, and language. A public hearing on the changes is scheduled for next week.
Last year, the Legislature authorized cannabis delivery from retail stores to customers, and this year, it expanded it so small cultivators and manufacturers could provide the same service. Currently, cultivators and manufacturers cannot sell directly to consumers. Among other changes, the bill would also permit stores, manufacturers, and cultivators to cater directly to tourists by delivering to hotels and businesses, provided the hotel or business has given written consent for such deliveries.
In introducing the bill, Rep. Laura Supica, D-Bangor, noted that both medical and illicit cannabis are already delivered to these locations.
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