from maine.gov's medical cannabis section
1/11/2012 – Wellness Connection of Maine opened their facility in Hallowell this week and has permits to open two more facilities this year. When fully operational the group will be the largest medical marijuana provider in the state.
WGME reported yesterday:
Mayor Charlotte Warren says she’s heard no complaints about this dispensary locating in Hallowell. The mayor says “They’ve met with our Chief of Police, they’ve met with the city manager. I feel very confident that they run a tight ship. They know what they’re doing. And I don’t have concerns about that.” read more
There are only eight permits for medical marijuana dispensaries in Maine. The limits created fierce competition. Berkeley Patients Group of California spun off an arm called Northeast Patients Group to get a piece of the new market but eventually internal relationships went sour. Controversy over start-up funding and business interests became public after a lawsuit last year.
Former NBA player Cutino Mobley tried for a marijuana dispensary license in Rhode Island. Then he turned up some funding for the Northeast operation in Maine. With the new money and name Wellness Connection weathered the lawsuit by the former backers in California and moved ahead.
Still their plans are to operate the first year at a significant financial loss.
In July estimates filed with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the group said it expected to serve 540 patients and lose $1.75 million. read more
From a patient perspective Maine has one of the most robust medical cannabis programs in the country. Home cultivation is allowed and so are caregivers, who maintain a solid network. Last year the Medical Marijuana Patient Privacy Protection Act passed making registration with the state voluntary and preventing municipalities from over-regulating medical cannabis.
The dispensaries in Maine are seen as a compliment to overall patient access and not as the sole-source for medical marijuana.
Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions? [email protected]