Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Augusta, Maine – Marijuana is now legal, so what's next? That question will be answered over the next year in Augusta, where the Legislature and state government have to create all the rules and regulations to manage the growing and sale of the drug.
That work began Monday, as the president of the Senate and speaker of the House named the 17 members of a special legislative committee that will be responsible for implementing the law passed by voters.
Also on Monday, Gov. Paul LePage issued an executive order to make good on a comment from Friday night, transferring authority for regulating marijuana from the Department of Agriculture – where the referendum language put it – to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations.
A lot of legislators have said they think that "BABLO," State House shorthand for the bureau, is the right agency to handle the regulation and enforcement of marijuana since it does a similar job with liquor. But marijuana activists say they would rather have it done by the Department of Agriculture, as specified in the referendum language, because they see the regulations being about growing and testing the plants.
Paul McCarrier of Legalize Maine, one of the leaders of last year's referendum effort, said he hopes lawmakers stay as close to the referendum as possible.
"And we just have to hope they respect the will of the voters," McCarrier said. "It was very clear what the voters voted on with the regulatory agency, amount and possession in law. It's very clear and we hope the governor and legislature respect the will of the voters."
But lawmakers have many details to work out, and Sen. Roger Katz, who will co-chair the special committee, said there is a lot that hasn't been specified by the referendum.
"It's much more than enforcement," Katz said, "and we need to talk now about how we license commercial growers, how we license retail establishments. The whole issue, we have a whole medical marijuana system in place. Do we even need that anymore now that we will let anyone have it? And if we still need it in what form and how do these things fit together?"
Katz said he expects that committee will work through the summer and fall to nail down all the pieces of the new law, at the same time the state agencies are crafting various rules that will govern many of the smaller details.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana Implementation Begins At State House
Author: Don Carrigan
Contact: WCSH 6
Photo Credit: News Center
Website: WCSH 6
That work began Monday, as the president of the Senate and speaker of the House named the 17 members of a special legislative committee that will be responsible for implementing the law passed by voters.
Also on Monday, Gov. Paul LePage issued an executive order to make good on a comment from Friday night, transferring authority for regulating marijuana from the Department of Agriculture – where the referendum language put it – to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations.
A lot of legislators have said they think that "BABLO," State House shorthand for the bureau, is the right agency to handle the regulation and enforcement of marijuana since it does a similar job with liquor. But marijuana activists say they would rather have it done by the Department of Agriculture, as specified in the referendum language, because they see the regulations being about growing and testing the plants.
Paul McCarrier of Legalize Maine, one of the leaders of last year's referendum effort, said he hopes lawmakers stay as close to the referendum as possible.
"And we just have to hope they respect the will of the voters," McCarrier said. "It was very clear what the voters voted on with the regulatory agency, amount and possession in law. It's very clear and we hope the governor and legislature respect the will of the voters."
But lawmakers have many details to work out, and Sen. Roger Katz, who will co-chair the special committee, said there is a lot that hasn't been specified by the referendum.
"It's much more than enforcement," Katz said, "and we need to talk now about how we license commercial growers, how we license retail establishments. The whole issue, we have a whole medical marijuana system in place. Do we even need that anymore now that we will let anyone have it? And if we still need it in what form and how do these things fit together?"
Katz said he expects that committee will work through the summer and fall to nail down all the pieces of the new law, at the same time the state agencies are crafting various rules that will govern many of the smaller details.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana Implementation Begins At State House
Author: Don Carrigan
Contact: WCSH 6
Photo Credit: News Center
Website: WCSH 6
