Maine

Navigating Maine State Laws:

Patients and Caregivers: Enrolling and Accessing Medical Cannabis

Medical Professionals: Procedures for recommending Medical Cannabis

Policymakers and Advocates: Actions Needed to Improve Laws for Patients

NOTICE: It can be challenging for patients to determine which businesses offering cannabis products are licensed and approved by the state. Review this list of medical cannabis retailers and/or a list of adult use retailers to find out where to purchase regulated cannabis in Maine. 

Traveling? Get more information about traveling in the US here. 

Home cultivation is allowed in Maine, for adults. Six mature cannabis plants for medical or adult use, with up to six mature plants or twelve immature plants in one household.

Get involved locally!

Background on State Laws

Cannabis is legal to all adults over 21 in Maine. Any adult may cultivate up to six plants at home, or up to 12 plants in a household of two or more adults. Patients enjoy a greater variety of dispensaries and producers than adult-use customers thanks to the caregiver system, which should be looked to as a model for other states that wish to expand access, lower costs to patients, and expand small business opportunities. Though there is a list of qualifying conditions for patients, a recommendation is ultimately up to the decision between a patient and their doctor. Patients visiting Maine may shop at the states medical cannabis dispensaries so long as their patient ID and state ID are from the same jurisdiction. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below.

Here is a breakdown of how Maine fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for Maine can be found below. For policy updates Sign Up here or Take Action!

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	90/100
Arrest Protection 25/25 Affirmative Defense 20/20 Parental Rights Protections 20/20 Employment Protections 20/20 DUI Protections 0/10 Explicit Privacy Standards 5/5
Access to Medicine	95/100
Authorizes Retail Access 10/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 20/20 - Authorizes Delivery 10/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 10/10 Personal Cultivation 15/15 Collective Gardening 5/5 Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers 30/30 Reciprocity 15/20
Program Functionality	100/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 20/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 10/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 10/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 15/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 20/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 5/5 - Background Checks 2/2 - Number of Caregivers 3/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 5/5 Access to Administration Methods 10/10 - Allows Dried Flower 5/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 5/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 5/5
Affordability	60/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 20/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 20/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 20/20 Donation Program 0/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 0/10
Health and Social Equity	87/100
State Program Protections 25/25 Housing Protections 20/25 Access for Minors 5/10 Access in Underserved Areas 10/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 10/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 7/10 Organ Transplants 5/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 5/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	48/200
Cultivation Operations 7/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 3/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 2/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 1/2 Required Testing 0/8 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 0/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 1/3 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 0/7 Manufacturing Operations 18/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 10/10 Standard Operating Procedures 3/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 1/3 Required Testing 0/10 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 0/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 0/1 - Residual Solvents 0/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 4/5 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Ingredients 1/1 - Allergens 1/1 - Nutritional Content 1/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/5 Dispensary Operations 23/50 Staff Training 20/20 Standard Operating Procedures 3/7 - Facility Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 1/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Product Testing 0/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 0/5 - COA Disclosure 0/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/13 Laboratory Operations 0/50 Independent or Third-Party 0/5 Laboratory Sampling 0/5 Method Validation 0/4 Quality Management Systems 0/5 Staff Training 0/20 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Sample Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Result Reporting 0/4
Score Penalties	10/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 10/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 0/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 0/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 0/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 0/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report.