Maine to begin accepting adult-use marijuana applications by November 18, 2019
On Monday, November 4, Maine's Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP) announced that it has finally adopted of the rules that will govern the state's adult-use marijuana program. The rules will take effect 30 days following final adoption, or on December 5, 2019. The OMP will begin accepting applications for Maine adult-use marijuana testing facilities on November 18, 2019, and will begin accepting applications for adult use marijuana cultivation, products manufacturing, and retail store facilities beginning December 5, 2019.
In the meantime, the OMP will be accepting early applications for individual identification cards, which will be required for any individual who will work for a licensed marijuana establishment. Maine adult-use marijuana Individual identification card applications are available in both PDF and online formats here. Under the new rules, the fee for an individual identification card is $50.00, plus fingerprinting fees, which were $52.00 at the time this blog post was published.
The OMP will be accepting fingerprint records required for the adult-use marijuana background check required of all applicants immediately. The OMP has made fingerprinting services available through IdentoGo, here.
The adult-use marijuana testing facility application fee is set at $250.00, with a $2,500.00 license fee if approved. The fees for all Maine adult-use marijuana facilities are as follows:
The final adoption of the adult-use marijuana program rules marks the culmination of over three years of legislation and rulemaking, and will pave the way to making Maine's adult-use marijuana program a reality. Based on the new timeline for acceptance of applications, and the rule's 90-day deadline for the OMP to process applications, it appears that early applications should have a state-level decision on their adult-use applications as soon as March 5, 2020. State-approved applicants will also be required to obtain municipal approval for their adult-use marijuana facilities, but the state's adoption of the final rule and acceptance of early applications means adult-use marijuana facilities could be operational in Maine as soon as March or April 2020.
As always, if you have any questions about Maine marijuana laws or licensing, or are seeking assistance with licensing or compliance, feel free to contact Dubois Law today at (207) 951-6395 or matt@duboislawmaine.com.
