Legalize Maine has come out against the proposed legislative rewrite of a voter-approved recreational marijuana law, saying the bill that is slated for a special session vote Monday “isn’t ready for prime time.”
The group’s president, Paul T. McCarrier, said the amendment to the state Marijuana Legalization Act would create chaos in the new market, making it difficult for marijuana businesses to find a place to set up shop.
The major sticking point for Legalize Maine is language in the bill requiring towns to “opt in” to the marijuana market, or take legislative action to allow recreational marijuana businesses to operate in their borders, McCarrier said this morning.
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The voter-approved law gives towns the ability to “opt out” of the adult-use market by taking legislative action, like a ban adopted by ordinance or city council vote. A municipality could also require occupation permits and charge business license fees.
“This will only encourage the black market in Maine and is the exact opposite of what the voters of Maine approved of last fall,” said McCarrier. “The process of how this language was inserted is disturbing and makes this bill not ready for prime time.”
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