Maine's Office of Marijuana Policy will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules for Adult Use Marijuana next Thursday, May 23rd from 8am until close of comments at the Holiday Inn at 88 Spring St in Portland. As part of the public feedback process, The Maine Craft Cannabis Association, Compassionate Caregivers of Maine, and Legalize Maine ask you to support a shared set of values to guide our regulatory program.

The Office of Marijuana Policy wants—and needs—to hear from YOU. The most important agenda is that of the people of Maine. Cannabis is not a new phenomenon and our state is in the process of making big changes to an already-thriving cannabis culture. The OMP wants to do what’s right and WILL listen to you—especially if the message is consistent. If you can participate—either by attending and giving testimony or by submitting written testimony through their website—you can make a difference. At the very least, consider signing on to our statement of values below!

WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR

Environmental sustainability

Nowhere is marijuana regulation more out of sync than with packaging rules. Treating marijuana like dangerous poison serves nobody and imperils our beautiful state and our planet with even more needless single-use plastic.

Consumer privacy

While Maine has legalized marijuana, the Federal government has not, exposing cannabis users to legal problems. Our state should protect us, and our choices should be private.

Social justice

We can’t develop a just and fair industry without recognizing the cost to those who truly laid the foundation. At a minimum, let’s seal the records for marijuana convictions immediately and free people from the stigma of prior convictions for something we now consider legal.

Destigmatization

Behaving as if marijuana is a more dangerous substance than alcohol or tobacco does little to improve public health or consumer safety, nor does it build a culture of moderation and tolerance. Our stores don’t need to feel like prisons, and our marijuana doesn’t need to look like pharmaceuticals.

Supporting small, local businesses

Supporting small businesses brings benefits beyond a more just economic opportunity—it creates more choice and access for consumers, keeps dollars closer to home, nurtures community, and fosters local job creation.

Freedom for hemp

While cannabis with THC above 0.3% by dry weight is still a schedule 1 drug at the federal level, hemp is not! We must not allow industry lobbyists to pull hemp into marijuana regulation to inflate their ability to profit from this incredible plant and keep its nutrition out of the hands of the people.

Protect access for patients

The beginning of adult use sales does not mean the end of the medical marijuana program by any means, nor should it. While some overlap is inevitable, medical marijuana policy should be evaluated on its own standing with the patients who need access to their medicine first in mind.