United States: legal cannabis sales have begun in Maine

Legal cannabis sales began last Friday in the small U.S. state of Maine, who voted to legalize cannabis in 2016.

Cannabis sales in Maine reached nearly 100,000 $ on the first day of legal sales, for a population of just over 1 million. However, retailers quickly faced product shortages, and customers paid high prices—as is often the case when legal sales begin.

With only 8 accredited clinics Open for the launch, supplied by eight farms, four processing facilities, and a single testing laboratory, these facilities had to limit the quantities allowed for purchase to below the legal limits in an effort to best satisfy all buyers.

A Legalization Process Full of Twists and Turns

Voters in Maine legalized cannabis for adults and authorized the commercial production and sale of cannabis by licensed businesses in November 2016.

Former Republican Governor Paul LePage, however, delayed the implementation of the measure. After two years of legislative revisions and LePage's numerous vetoes, The legalization of cannabis finally took effect in late 2018. Most of the work aimed at establishing cannabis regulations for the state took place after the election of the current governor, Janet Mills, a Democrat.

«Under the Mills administration, my office—the Office of Cannabis Regulation—was established in February of last year,» said Erik Gundersen, its director. «And really, when we got here, we started with a clean slate and set to work on the regulations, which we developed quickly and which serve as the framework for this new industry.»

Sales should have started in March 2020, but regulatory delays, a lack of testing facilities, and the coronavirus pandemic have pushed back the launch date.