Maine Marijuana Laws
Maine State Information Page
- Medical and recreational use is legalized.
- Decriminalized statewide for personal use
- Adult residents may possess two and a half ounces for personal use
- Cultivation of up to three plants per residence for adults or six plants with a medical card
Medical Cannabis Savings
Taxes explained and the benefits of getting your medical card in Maine
Recreational Marijuana Taxes in Maine
15.5% (10% excise tax + 5.5% sales tax)
Medical Marijuana Taxes in Maine
5.5% (edibles 8%)
Savings
Estimated Savings Having a Medical Marijuana Card
7.5% - 10%
Recreational marijuana has been legal for adult use in Maine since 2016, with dispensaries opening in 2020 for adults, and medical marijuana has been legal since 1999 for medical cardholders and caregivers.
State Laws and Offenses
Here’s a list of penalties for Maine possession, sale, and distribution of marijuana, concentrate, or paraphernalia.
- Marijuana is a Schedule I substance in the state of Maine
- Federally, cannabis is still considered a Schedule I Controlled Substance.
- An adult may possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and no more than 5 grams of marijuana concentrate.
- The sale of one pound or less is a crime punishable by a maximum sentence of one-year imprisonment and a maximum fine of 2,000 USD.
- An adult may cultivate up to three flowering marijuana plants, twelve immature plants, and unlimited seedlings. An adult may possess all of the marijuana produced by the plants.
- An adult may possess marijuana paraphernalia.
- The sale of paraphernalia to a person at least 16 years old is A Class E crime misdemeanor punishable by a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment and a maximum fine of 1,000 USD.
Maine allows patients with the following conditions to apply for a medical cannabis card:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV or AIDS
- Huntington’s disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Nausea
- Nail-patella syndrome
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Legislation approved in 2018 amended the state law so that a physician, at their sole discretion, may recommend cannabis to any patient for which they believe it will benefit.
1.
Book An Appointment
You will schedule an appointment to see a medical marijuana doctor in Maine at a time that is most convenient for you. Provide basic medical history and book your appointment with a licensed medical marijuana doctor.
2.
Evaluation
Consult with a doctor for a quick evaluation of your ailments, and ask any questions you may have about medical marijuana treatment.
3.
Approval
Within 24 hours after the evaluation, the doctor will send your certificate via email for your recommendation for medical marijuana. After receiving that recommendation, you can then apply with the state of Maine to complete the registration process.
Does Maine accept out-of-state medical cards?
Yes. Dispensaries and retail marijuana stores in Maine can accept medical marijuana cards from other states if those states allow them to use their cards out of state. Out-of-state visitors are allowed to purchase cannabis and to consume marijuana on private property.
When does my Maine medical card expire?
Medical cards expire one year from the date the patient completes the registration process with the state.
Maine marijuana DUI laws
Here are the penalties in Maine for driving under the influence:
- A first offense can result in 48 hours in jail, a 500 USD fine, and 150 days of suspended driver’s license. If the driver refuses to submit to a test, they must spend 96 hours in jail, pay a 600 USD fine, and submit to a 275-day suspended driver’s license.
- A second offense can result in seven days up to twelve days in jail, up to a 900 USD fine, court-ordered driver’s license suspension, and suspension of the right to register a motor vehicle.
- The third offense can result in up to forty days in jail, up to a 1,400 USD fine, court-ordered driver’s license suspension for six years, and suspension of the right to register a motor vehicle. Penalties increase with subsequent offenses.
Maine marijuana growing laws
You must be 21 years or older and can grow up to three mature cannabis plants in your home, out of sight from the public.
Maine public consumption laws
Maine state law prohibits the use of cannabis in a public place, including for medical patients.
No marijuana may be used in the following locations:
- Amusement parks, ski resorts
- Sporting and music venues
- State and national parks, campsites
- Playgrounds
- Sidewalks and roads
- Marijuana retail businesses
- Bars, restaurants, and outdoor or rooftop cafes
- Motel or hotel rooms that have been rented to the public
- Any federal property, because it’s still an illegal drug under federal law
Maine city specific laws
The laws listed here are for the state. Cities, counties, schools, universities, and employers may set their own rules and consequences. Be sure to check how marijuana laws differ in each county or town before you use.
Fifty-three percent of Maine voters supported recreational legalization for adults.
Yes, Marijuana inhalation adult-use marijuana products are legal and sold in dispensaries in the state of Maine; however, smoking and the use of marijuana are not allowed in public spaces.
Yes. With a medical card, you are allowed to grow up to three mature cannabis in your own residence. Even an immature marijuana plant must not be within public sight and only on approved private property.
Yes. Maine law requires all qualified patients to be registered with the state before using cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Medical marijuana applicants’ Requirements are as follows:
- Be 18 years of age or older and provide valid patient identification credentials
- You must be able to provide proof of your Maine residency
- You must have a diagnosis that qualifies in Maine
- You must submit a signed Physician Certification with your MMP application
As of 2022, there are approximately 171 dispensaries for recreational sales to purchase marijuana statewide.
Cannabis Policy Reform Timeline
1976: Maine’s legislature decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis.
1999: Voters approved a ballot initiative legalizing medical cannabis for patients suffering from serious health issues.
2009: Maine Voters legalized a ballot initiative expanding the state’s existing Maine medical use cannabis program.
2016: Voters approved a ballot initiative called the Marijuana Legalization Act legalizing possession and cultivation of recreational cannabis for adults and establishing a regulated cannabis market for adult-use marijuana businesses.
2020: Due to the Maine revised statutes, adult-use sales and regulations of marijuana products for Maine residents begin in October 2020. The cannabis industry and adult-use marijuana establishments are regulated by the office of marijuana policy and the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
Some of the Current Cannabis Bills in Maine
- ME LD1881 - An Act To Clarify the Laws Related to the Use of Medical Marijuana and Workers' Compensation
- ME LD1930 - Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 1: Adult Use Marijuana Program Rule, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Office of Marijuana Policy
- ME LD1195 - An Act To Increase Funding to Qualifying Municipalities by Sharing Adult Use Marijuana Sales and Excise Tax Revenue
- ME LD1942 - An Act To Make Changes to the State's Hemp Program
- ME LD1846 - An Act To Allow for a Variance Rate in the Amount and Potency of Cannabinoids in Adult Use Edible Marijuana Products
Learn more about Cannabis legalization in Maine:
Updated 6.14.2022