Maine joined a growing list of states allowing adult residents to consume cannabis recreationally or medically.
Per 420Intel
Governor LePage signed the marijuana moratorium bill into law on Friday afternoon, one day after the bill passed the legislature and three days before recreational pot becomes legal in Maine.
The moratorium law allows personal use of the drug starting Monday, but buys the Governor and Legislature a year to fine tune marijuana policy, before retail sales will be allowed to begin all over the state.
It was not certain if the governor would approve the legislation, since two provisions he wanted were shot down in a House vote Thursday.
Governor LePage asked for $1.6 million in funding, so the state could hire staff and pay other costs to begin creating new rules needed to implement the law. He also asked that oversight be switched from the Maine Department of Agriculture to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations.
Democrats had opposed adding the Governor’s two items to the emergency moratorium bill, saying those issues could be decided by a special committee that will be formed next week.
So while the moritorium will hinder dispensaries from opening up, adults will still be allowed to legally consume.