Of the dozens of US states that have legalized some form of medical marijuana over the past several decades, one towers far above the others in its enthusiasm for cannabis: Maine. More than 105,000 Mainers registered for medical marijuana certificates last year, representing nearly 8 percent of the state’s 2020 population of 1.36 million. In
Of the dozens of US states that have legalized some form of medical marijuana over the past several decades, one towers far above the others in its enthusiasm for cannabis: Maine.
More than 105,000 Mainers registered for medical marijuana certificates last year, representing nearly 8 percent of the state’s 2020 population of 1.36 million. In Massachusetts, by comparison, a much more typical 1.4 percent of residents are card-carrying patients.
But a key factor behind the popularity of Maine’s medical program — a very hands-off approach by regulators — is also its most controversial.
Maine marijuana officials and law enforcement leaders have repeatedly pressed to impose tighter rules on the freewheeling sector, saying its lack of testing, tracking, and labeling requirements leave patients vulnerable to contaminated cannabis and make it easy for producers to divert inventory out the back door.
Read the full story at The Boston Globe
