Latest news with #OfficeofCannabisPolicy
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine won't require medical cannabis to be tested for contaminants -- this year
Jun. 11—Maine's medical cannabis providers have once again fought off a controversial requirement to start testing their products — at least for now. A legislative committee killed one bill and carried over another that would have instituted testing and tracking requirements that industry members have said for years would put them out of business or force price increases. While Maine's recreational cannabis market requires testing for contaminants and potency and includes potency limits, the medical market requires neither. Maine is the only state that doesn't mandate medical cannabis to be tested. LD 104, proposed by the state's Office of Cannabis Policy and sponsored by Rep. Marc Malon, D-Biddeford, would have required seed-to-sale plant tracking and standardized chemical, mold and heavy metal testing between recreational and medical cannabis. LD 1847, sponsored by Rep. Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth, sought to do the same while also adding potency caps on edibles. The latter will be taken up again next year. "I have listened and I've read testimony and I've worked with public health advocates to make sure that the medical cannabis industry survives, thrives and (can) be regulated so that when patients buy cannabis, they know that they have a safe product and they know what the potency is," Graham said. " ... Clearly our regulations and how we look at (testing), it needs work, a lot of work." But it's also "hugely complicated," she said, and needs more time. Jennifer Belcher, president of the Maine Cannabis Union, said there's a "sense of relief now that we know that nothing is going through this year. If either bill passed as written, she said "the medical program would be done." Belcher was encouraged by how receptive the committee was to the industry's concerns, and while "it is nerve-racking that we are going to face this next session," there's also an exciting opportunity for collaboration. "(LD) 1847 gives us an opportunity to focus on the facts, the research, the science," she said. AN ONGOING FIGHT John Hudak, director of the office, has been clear that implementing a testing program is a top priority, but this session was the first time since he was appointed to the office in late 2022 that an official proposal has been before the committee. Following a 2022 law, any major substantive rule-making from the department must be approved by the Legislature. "If a business model is one in which producing clean cannabis is too costly, there's something wrong with the business model," he said previously. "We're not going to focus on profits at the expense of patients' health." Supporters of the bill have referenced a 2023 report by the Office of Cannabis Policy that found about 45% of the cannabis in Maine's medical market would fail the standards set for the recreational market. They also pointed to the influx of suspected illegal growers allegedly tied to Chinese organized crime who have been selling bulk cannabis at "rock bottom" prices to legal dispensaries. However, in a public hearing last month, dozens of medical cannabis caregivers and consumers testified in opposition to the bills and the committee received roughly 1,000 pieces of written testimony. They criticized the state's testing program, citing several recalls in the recreational program last year that have brought the science behind the tests and the state's standards into question. The recent recalls, they argue, prove the testing doesn't work and shouldn't be forced on the medical program. The fight is just the latest in a series of uphill battles for Maine's medical cannabis providers. Oversaturation, competition with recreational cannabis and high costs have caused revenue to plummet and people to leave the industry in droves. Unlike many other states, Maine's medical cannabis market has always outperformed its recreational counterpart. But the gap between the two is narrowing, and last year the medical market brought in about $280 million (down from $371 in 2021), while the recreational market brought in $217 million. The number of providers, known in the industry as caregivers, has been cleaved in half from its 2016 peak of 3,257 to 1,627 in May, according to state data. "We are literally fighting for our lives at this point," Belcher said. OTHER BILLS The committee carried over several other bills, including one that would require the director of the Office of Cannabis Policy be confirmed by the Legislature rather than appointed by the commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, which oversees the office. Sen. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, who drafted the bill, said the committee needed time to investigate whether there are other directors, like the heads of the state's alcohol and gambling control agencies, that should also be subject to legislative approval. Lawmakers also carried over a proposal to allow cannabis "social clubs" or public consumption, based off recommendations in a task force report this winter. Earlier this session, the committee killed two bills that would have implemented revenue sharing across Maine's cannabis industry, meaning towns and cities that allow recreational businesses could receive a portion of the tax revenue they generate. Legislators hoped the bills would encourage more towns and cities to allow cannabis shops and help them recoup the costs of overseeing the recreational program. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine inches toward allowing cannabis 'social clubs'
Feb. 25—Nearly a decade ago, Maine voters said they wanted to be able to smoke a joint in a lounge or order a THC-infused drink at a bar. But despite the 2016 referendum approval, cannabis "social clubs" have remained off the table for almost 10 years. That could be changing. A new report from The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy's Cannabis Hospitality Task Force includes recommendations for a bill to regulate "cannabis hospitality establishments" in the state. The task force was required to consider licensing for different business models, how to regulate consumption, what other services could be offered, training for employees and various aspects of local control. The report is intended to serve as a guide for legislators drafting future bills, but there are still a number of hurdles to clear and issues to work out before Mainers could see any of these clubs in action. The 20-member task force included cannabis industry representatives, public health advocates, chefs and hospitality professionals, policy experts and state and municipal officials. The group looked at several options, including restaurants and bud-and-breakfast-style inns but ultimately recommended two business models for on-site consumption: cannabis-specific trade shows or events, and consumption lounges. The majority of the group also supported the idea of consumption at non cannabis-specific events like concerts and fairs. But how the products should be consumed is still up for debate. According to the report, there were strong opinions both for and against allowing inhalable cannabis. Supporters said hospitality establishments would not have a real impact without the option of smoking, as that's the primary way people consume the drug. In January, "usable" cannabis like flower and pre-rolls accounted for more than half of the products sold in the state's recreational market, according to the Office of Cannabis Policy. But opponents argued that allowing smoking would conflict with Maine smoking laws and could create ventilation and safety concerns for workers. There was more of a consensus around edibles, particularly nano-emulsified beverages, which often have a lower THC content and, as with alcohol, the effects are often felt within 20 minutes, rather than the hour or more common with other edible products. But still, there remain concerns about dosing and standardizing consumption limits when everyone has a different THC tolerance, according to the report. The group agreed that municipalities should have the final say in whether to opt in to any future hospitality programs, but there was little consensus on how licensing should work. Cannabis "social clubs," sites licensed to sell retail cannabis to be consumed onsite as bars do with alcohol, are not legal in Maine despite originally being approved in the 2016 referendum that legalized recreational cannabis. Under state statute, consumption is permitted only in a private residence or on private property "not generally accessible by the public" and with explicit permission to consume cannabis on the property. Maine would have become the first state in the country to legalize cannabis social clubs, but the Legislature rewrote the law in 2017, and then again in 2018, eliminating on-site consumption to secure the votes to override the veto of former Gov. Paul LePage. Since then, 12 states including Alaska, Nevada, California, Colorado and New Jersey, have moved to allow social consumption and are in various stages of implementation. The issue of licensing social clubs has come up at least four times in the last two legislative sessions. Steve Rusnack, owner of Full Bloom Cannabis, which has locations in both the medical and recreational markets, said the industry would "jump on" the option if it were available. "It's a new avenue, and I think as far as the customers and patients are concerned, they see a lot of this going on in other places and they want it too," said Rusnack, who was on the task force. The option is likely to be popular with tourists, who may want to use cannabis but can't smoke in their hotel room or while out and about, he said. Last year, Maine's recreational cannabis industry brought in $244 million. The work sessions provided a good foundation, Rusnack said, but there's still a lot that needs to be worked out. According to the report, "outstanding questions around licensing, consumption methods, demand, and insurance need to be addressed in order to move forward with suggested legislation and policy proposals." The task force recommended the Legislature convene another study or survey that includes a subgroup of cannabis consumers "to examine the issues considered throughout this report in more detail." Copy the Story Link
