Maine lawmakers on Monday overturned the governor’s veto of a medical marijuana reform bill, putting the state on path to loosen its rules for letting patients legally use the plant.
Legislators in the House and Senate voted 119-23 and 25-8, respectively, to reject a veto handed down three days earlier by Gov. Paul LePage, reiterating their support for sweeping reforms expected to significantly expand access to medical marijuana in part by effectively eliminating the existing list of qualifying conditions under which a patient can be recommended pot.
“Maine’s medical cannabis program is already one of the best in the country,” said state Sen. Eric Brakey, Auburn Republican and co-chairman of the health and human services committee that helped write the reforms. “The passage of L.D. 1539 will make it even stronger. More access and choice for patients. More flexibility for legal businesses. And more integrity to the overall program.”
Maine legalized medical marijuana in 1999, but currently physicians can only recommend the drug to patients who have been diagnosed with any of a handful of certain health conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV, hepatitis C, post-traumatic stress disorder and inflammatory bowel disease, among others.
Along with other reforms, the bill amends the list of qualifying conditions to include any symptom that, “in the patient’s medical provider’s opinion, may be alleviated by the therapeutic use of cannabis.”
Additionally, the bill will allow six new medical-marijuana dispensaries to open, let licensed caregivers expand their business operations and give regulatory powers to state and municipalities authorities, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Mr. LePage’s office did not immediately return an email seeking comment. He listed the elimination of the state’s list of qualifying medical conditions as the first on a list of 11 reasons explaining his veto Friday.
Around 42,000 patients are currently enrolled in Maine’s medical marijuana program, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a pro-legalization group.
Separate from the state’s medical marijuana program, Mainers voted in 2016 to legalize recreational marijuana and implement a system for eventually allowing retail dispensaries to operate. The state legislature similarly overrode Mr. LePage in May after he vetoed a bill that aimed to establish a framework for licensing, taxing and tracking recreational marijuana sales, paving the way for the state to eventually join the list of seven states and counting to permit non-medical pot shops.
Thirty states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, notwithstanding the plant’s status as a Schedule 1 substance banned under federal law.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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