Gift Me Marijuana — LePage's attempts to stall the recreational market are fruitless

In early May, the Maine Legislature voted to overturn Gov. LePage’s veto on the adult use marijuana bill. But due to an extensive list of regulations that still need to be drafted, at least another year will pass before the first recreational cannabis stores start popping up.

The latest version of the adult use cannabis bill is much more conservative than the original one voters passed nearly 18 months ago. Crafted in a special committee over the course of a year, the approved bill bans social clubs, and limits the amounts of plants that can be grown for personal use down from six to three. Although passed, the bill will take over a year for it to take effect because the state still has to draft rules regarding licensing, inspection of facilities, and the collection of sales taxes. And LePage can kick the can down the road on hiring a consultant until he leaves office, and the Legislature doesn’t even convene again to approve the rules until January.