Maine Marijuana Business Licenses
Status: In Maine, all individuals may be in possession of Marijuana. Qualified patients may access medical marijuana through the state's existing licensed businesses. State licensed businesses may grow, process, transport, and dispense marijuana.
| CBD Program | Medical Program | Recreational Program | Are Applications Open? |
| Legal | Legal | Legal | Open |
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Number of Maine Marijuana Business Licenses Licenses Available
| Dispensaries | Cultivation | Manufacturing/Processing | Transportation |
| TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
You can read the full text of the Maine Marijuana Business Licenses law at: http://mainelegislature.org
Maine Medical Marijuana Dispensary License Guidelines
A dispensary license is required to acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, sell, supply or dispense marijuana, paraphernalia or related supplies and educational materials to qualifying patients and the primary caregivers of those patients.
Maine currently is not accepting applications for medical marijuana dispensaries. To get ahead of the game and prepare for your marijuana business for when the state begins accepting applications again, review the resources below.
RECOMMENDED MAINE MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR DISPENSARY APPLICATION:
- Maine Application Guide & Checklist
- Marijuana Business Plan Package
- Business & Operations Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Patient Education Plan Template
- Patient Recordkeeping Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
Maine Recreational Marijuana Cultivation License Guidelines
Maine defines a “Marijuana Cultivation Facility” as an entity licensed to cultivate, prepare and package adult use marijuana; to sell adult use marijuana to products manufacturing facilities, to marijuana stores and to other cultivation facilities; and to sell marijuana plants and seeds to other cultivation facilities and immature marijuana plants and seedlings to marijuana stores.
- A Tier 1 Cultivation Facility – the two subcategories of tier 1 cultivation facility license are plant-count-based tier 1 cultivation facility license and plant-canopy-based tier 1 cultivation facility license. The application fee for a Tier 1 Cultivation Facility license is $100.
- A Plant-Count-Based Tier 1 Cultivation Facility license allows cultivation of a specified number (not more than 30) of mature marijuana plants and an unlimited number of immature marijuana plants and seedlings.
- A Plant-Canopy-Based Tier 1 Cultivation Facility license allows cultivation of not more than 500 square feet of plant canopy of mature plants.
- A Tier 2 Cultivation Facility – allows cultivation by a licensee of not more than 2,000 square feet of plant canopy of mature plants. The application fee for a Tier 2 Cultivation Facility license is $500.
- A Tier 3 Cultivation Facility – allows cultivation by a licensee of not more than 7,000 square feet of plant canopy of mature plants. The application fee for a Tier 3 Cultivation Facility license is $500.
- A Tier 4 Cultivation Facility – allows cultivation by a licensee of not more than 20,000 square feet of plant canopy of mature plants. The license fee for a Tier 4 Cultivation Facility license is $500.
- A Nursery Cultivation Facility – allows cultivation by a licensee of not more than 1,000 square feet of plant canopy. The application fee for a Nursery Cultivation Facility is $60.
Maine’s recreational marijuana rules will take effect on September 18, 2019. We anticipate recreational marijuana business licensing to take place soon after.
RECOMMENDED MAINE MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR CULTIVATION APPLICATION:
- Maine Application Guide & Checklist
- Marijuana Business Plan Package
- Cultivation Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Facility Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
Maine Recreational Marijuana Products Manufacturing License Guidelines
Maine defines “Marijuana Products Manufacturing Facility” as an entity licensed to purchase adult use marijuana from a cultivation facility or another products manufacturing facility; to manufacture, label and package adult use marijuana and adult use marijuana products; and to sell adult use marijuana and adult use marijuana products to marijuana stores and to other products manufacturing facilities.
- The application fee for a Retail Marijuana Products Manufacturing Facility is $250.
Maine’s recreational marijuana rules will take effect on September 18, 2019. We anticipate recreational marijuana business licensing to take place soon after.
RECOMMENDED MAINE MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR MANUFACTURING APPLICATION:
- Maine Application Guide & Checklist
- Marijuana Business Plan Package
- Manufacturing/Processing Plan Template
- Environmental Plan Template
- Financial Plan Template
- Fire Safety Plan Template
- Inventory Control Plan Template
- Product Safety Plan Template
- Security Plan Template
- Staffing Plan Template
- Suitability of Proposed Facility Plan Template
- Transportation Plan Template
Maine Recreational Marijuana Store License Guidelines
Maine defines a “Marijuana Store” as an entity licensed to purchase adult use marijuana, immature marijuana plants and seedlings from a cultivation facility, to purchase adult use marijuana and adult use marijuana products from a products manufacturing facility and to sell adult use marijuana, adult use marijuana products, immature marijuana plants and seedlings to consumers.
- The application fee for a Retail Marijuana Store is $250.
Maine’s recreational marijuana rules will take effect on September 18, 2019. We anticipate recreational marijuana business licensing to take place soon after.
RECOMMENDED MAINE MARIJUANA BUSINESS PLANS FOR DISPENSARY APPLICATION:
The History of Maine Marijuana Business Licenses Marijuana
Medical Marijuana Overview:
Maine legalized medical marijuana by a majority vote on Ballot Question 2 on November 2nd, 1999. The law was modified for improvements in 2009 allowing for a dispensary system in the state. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services regulates the state’s medical marijuana program. The law allowed for 8 non-for profit state-licensed dispensaries and 8 were awarded in 2010.
In November 2016, Maine voters approved Question 1, legalizing the recreational use, retail sale, and taxation of marijuana. On January 27, 2017, the legislature approved a moratorium on implementing parts of the law regarding retails sales and taxation until at least February 2018 in order to give the state more time to resolve issues and submit rules. The portion of the law that allows persons over 21 years to grow six mature plants and possess 2.5 ounces became effective on January 30, 2017.
On April 27, 2018, Governor Paul LePage vetoed a bill to establish a regulated recreational marijuana market in Maine. The following week, on May 2, 2018, the Legislature overrode the veto and put the final stamp on the bill, LD 1719, An Act to Implement a Regulatory Structure for Adult Use Marijuana. The state is now in the process of drafting the regulatory rules for licensing, inspection, taxes, and other details.
On June 27, 2019, Governor Janet Mills signed P.L. 2019, ch. 491 into law to implement and govern a recreational (adult-use) marijuana market. Among other changes to Maine’s adult use marijuana laws, P.L. 2019, ch. 491 requires several changes to the previous provisionally adopted rules. The amended rules make the following changes from the previous provisionally adopted rules:
- Deletes wording that may have limited out-of-state ownership of companies involved in the recreational marijuana market
- Authorizes the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services to determine if a conditionally licensed applicant continues to meet the requirements for conditional licensure. If the department determines they no longer meet requirements, they may refuse the applicant an active license.
- Amends the Maine Food Law so foods containing marijuana are not considered adulterated if they are prepared in a licensed food establishment that also is a licensed adult-use marijuana products manufacturing facility
The new law took effect on September 18, 2019.
The Office of Marijuana Policy, which will oversee roll out of the adult-use market, will begin taking testing lab applications on November 18, 2019, and start accepting cultivation, manufacturing and retail license applications on December 5, 2019. Applicants must obtain approval from local municipalities before receiving final approval from the state.
Recreational sales will begin on October 9, 2020.
Program Timeline:
November 2, 1999 – Maine legalized medical marijuana.
November 8, 2016 – Voters approved Question 1, legalizing the recreational use, retail sale and taxation of marijuana.
January 27, 2017 – The Legislature approved a moratorium on implementing parts of the law regarding retail sales and taxation until February 2018.
January 30, 2017 – The portion of the law allowing persons over 21 years to grow six mature plants and possess 2.5 ounces went into effect.
April 27, 2019 – Governor Paul LePage vetoed a bill to establish a regulated recreational marijuana market.
May 2, 2019 – The Legislature overrode the veto and put the final stamp on the bill, LD 1719.
June 27, 2019 – Governor Janet Mills signed proposed recreational marijuana rules into law to implement and govern a recreational (adult-use) marijuana market.
September 18, 2019 – The law to legalize recreational (adult-use) marijuana market took effect.
November 18, 2019 – The Office of Marijuana Policy will begin taking testing lab applications.
December 5, 2019 – The Office of Marijuana Policy will begin accepting cultivation, manufacturing and retail license applications.