Bill to legalize

Diane Russell's bill to legalize (LD 1229) was filed yesterday. It has been referred to the criminal justice committee for review. It has 35 co-sponsors. This thing might have legs.

Christ I hope not, It's 5 grand for a license or some shit......

Her bill will never pass, it includes conceal and carry permissions and this will not fly with voters or LE.
If you have read a detailed recent article on this bill you would know the medical marijuana groups in Maine are against it as well. No protections for growers, same high tax proposal garbage. She attempted and failed to get a similar bill passed through committee already. Reminds of of the federal assault weapons ban, just too much nonsense in it to get passed. Hopefully she or someone else will re-write the bill more sensibly before they try to pass it on to committees and referendum.

Rancho Cucamonga said:

Her bill will never pass, it includes conceal and carry permissions and this will not fly with voters or LE.

Click to expand...

This is Maine. Open carry is legal. You don't need permission to carry.

And that is part of my:
"Minimum security requirements, including standards to reasonably protect
against unauthorized access to marijuana at all stages of the licensee's possession,
transportation, storage and cultivation of marijuana; these security requirements may not
prohibit outdoor cultivation in an enclosed, secured space"

Anyway, I can't find anything about it in the text of the bill. Just this:
http://legiscan.com/ME/text/LD1229

Conduct allowed by Title 22, chapter 558-C or 558-D may not be the basis for a finding of a lack of good moral character

Click to expand...

If you have read a detailed recent article on this bill you would know the medical marijuana groups in Maine are against it as well.

Click to expand...

I will be dropping my membership in any mmj group that opposes this bill.

This looks crappy

A retail marijuana store may only sell or furnish marijuana to a consumer from the
premises licensed by the department. A retail marijuana store may not, either directly
or indirectly, by any agent or employee, travel from locality to locality, or from place
to place within the same locality, selling, bartering or carrying for sale or exposing
for sale marijuana from any vehicle

Click to expand...

But I am interested in running a marijuana cultivation facility, not a retail store. I don't like the current MMJ laws, but it is better than not having any. This bill is not perfect, or even great, but is an improvement over what we have now. It would allow me to focus on growing. Aces in their places.

MMCM's stated reason for opposing the bill is that it has no provision for acquiring genetics, putting growers at risk. Of course, Maine's medical cannabis law has no provision for acquiring genetics, putting growers at risk - but they support that law. Seems to me they should just come out and say what my friends in California said a couple years ago - "It's legal enough already, full legalization will hurt my wallet....."

No offense Rancho but a few things stand out from your post.


1. First is that you aren't a Maine resident, so in reality your opinion means absolutely nothing. You can't vote here, you have no voice.

2. You mention a "high tax proposal," IMO a $50 an oz tax isn't high. I'd be more than happy to pay that in a legal and free market.

3. I'm a member of a large MMJ group here in Maine. As far as I know the group doesn't oppose the legislation, if anything the members support it. If my group were to oppose I'd would leave immediately as would many others.

no offense, but the dispensary mess just further strengthens the mindset to keep outsiders out of OUR affairs. Those Cali clowns really did a great job with the dispensaries didn't they?

ink the world said:

No offense Rancho but a few things stand out from your post.


1. First is that you aren't a Maine resident, so in reality your opinion means absolutely nothing. You can't vote here, you have no voice.

2. You mention a "high tax proposal," IMO a $50 an oz tax isn't high. I'd be more than happy to pay that in a legal and free market.

3. I'm a member of a large MMJ group here in Maine. As far as I know the group doesn't oppose the legislation, if anything the members support it. If my group were to oppose I'd would leave immediately as would many others.

no offense, but the dispensary mess just further strengthens the mindset to keep outsiders out of OUR affairs. Those Cali clowns really did a great job with the dispensaries didn't they?

Click to expand...

I agree about keeping outsiders OUT. This bill should generate many conversations on our Maine mmj forum!

Legislators won't pass any legalization law, It'll have to be passed by voters, just like our current setup was......wait till 2016, It'll be on the ballot......

2. You mention a "high tax proposal," IMO a $50 an oz tax isn't high. I'd be more than happy to pay that in a legal and free market.

50$ an ounce is outrageous, One could easily have to pay 50 grand a year just to the state.....then add federal tax, sales tax.etc.....I

2016.. We're not going to have to wait that long.. unless you mean Federal legalization by 2016

mdanforth said:

Legislators won't pass any legalization law, It'll have to be passed by voters, just like our current setup was......wait till 2016, It'll be on the ballot......

Click to expand...

Even if this bill passes, it still requires a referendum to be enacted. This bill is actually an attempt to head off the 2016 referendum, which would legalize with no regulatory structure (and i think no limits). I'm unimpressed with this bill and the accompanying regulatory structure, to be honest, but it is better than the status quo.