Maine hopes to avoid pitfalls during marijuana legalization push

Sales of recreational marijuana in Maine are on track to begin next March, and the state is looking to learn from mistakes that other states have made in legalizing the drug.

The state’s voters chose to legalize adult use marijuana in November 2016, and months of delays and political squabbles have caused the implementation of rules to drag on. But the state now has draft rules in hand and a road map to approving them.

The final rulemaking push can help avoid problems such as overproduction, corporatization of the marijuana industry and overconsumption by users that have slowed other states, said Democratic Rep. Teresa Pierce of Falmouth, who sits on the state’s marijuana advisory commission. She said Maine can protect smaller growers and retailers in a way that Colorado, an early adopter of legalization, has not.

“What they’ve lost is Coloradans who want a small grow and a small store,” Pierce said. “If you don’t start that way, it’s hard to go back that way.” [Read more at Bangor Daily News]