The outcome of a Wednesday vote in the Maine legislature is precisely the one that Governor Paul LePage was hoping wouldn’t come to be. Last Friday. LePage vetoed LD 1719, a bill to establish a regulatory system for adult-use cannabis in the state, citing various problems he saw within the document.
Separate medicinal and recreational systems, and marijuana’s Schedule I status are two of the reasons LePage gave for his veto of the bill.
But after the governor denied the measure’s passage, it headed back to the legislature for one last chance to become law. While some lawmakers argued against passing the bill, they ultimately ended up being in the minority.
With a 28 to 6 vote in the House and a 109 to 39 vote in the Senate, state lawmakers secured the 2/3 majority needed in each chamber to cancel LePage’s veto.
Under LD 1719, there are no allowances for cannabis lounges or other venues with on-site consumption, but individuals will be able to grow up to three plants for personal use. There is no limit to the amount of cannabis that a business can produce, though licenses will only be issued to tax-paying Maine residents for the first three years.
