Industry group recommends new medical cannabis rules for Maine

A group of medical marijuana providers, customers and other stakeholders recommended to the legislative committee on Monday about a new rule stating that it would protect consumers without undue harm to the main medical cannabis industry. The we.

A bill approved by the Main State Legislature in 2021 reviewed the medical marijuana rule-making process, suspending a series of controversial and proposed regulations by the state’s marijuana policy bureau, and replacing it with industry-led rule-making committee members. We asked for opinions from the society. Before making major changes to the medical marijuana program.

The Medical Marijuana Workgroup, held in the fall, was led by a policy office and was attended by 17 members from across the industry. Two registered clinic representatives; cannabis testing facility representatives; product manufacturers; three eligible medical cannabis patients who are also non-caregivers. Two local government officials and two medical professionals with relevant expertise.

The group was tasked with developing procedures to streamline the licensing and compliance process, “to ensure that medical use programs meet the characteristics of regulated industries.”

At five meetings, the group focused on topics such as patient access and medical cannabis testing, and Eric Gandersen, director of the Marijuana Policy Department, gave a virtual presentation to legislative veterans and the Legislative Commission. I mentioned in. The group has firmly rejected the previously proposed policy office requirement that the medical market adopt a “tracking and tracking” product tracking system.

Mark Barnett, owner of Higher Grounds, a combination of medical cannabis retailers and coffee shops in Old Port, and chair of the Maine Craft Cannabis Association, said Gundersen and policy firms would listen to the industry after him. He said he evaluated it. He said it was a combative legislative session with many negative sentiments and distrust.

“I’m really grateful … the credit and perception that the office seems to ultimately give to the regulated industry,” Burnett said.

Still, he criticized the authorities for promoting follow-up tracking and mandatory testing policies, both of which indicate that the industry does not support them, he said.

The state’s medical marijuana program consists of 13 clinics, approximately 3,000 registered caregivers, and more than 100,000 qualified patients. According to the report, medical marijuana sales in 2020 were approximately $ 290 million. Recent numbers weren’t immediately available.

In January 2021, the Marijuana Policy Bureau issued a tentative draft of a rule change for the medical program, stating that authorities were “to align the program with state law.”

Among other proposed changes, including strict security and surveillance measures, the proposed rules are now in the Main State Entertainment Cannabis Program for all registered medical cannabis caregivers, clinics, and manufacturing facilities. Requested to implement the same tracking system as used.

To do this, healthcare providers need to track all marijuana plants or harvested marijuana daily, from “immature plants” to sale or disposal. Tracking The goal of tracking is to record the movement of all products throughout the supply chain to identify the source of products that have been found to be contaminated or illegal.

Pushback

For months, caregivers opposed the proposal and worried that tracking and other rules would be too expensive to wipe out the industry.

However, opposition to the bill says that state medical marijuana sellers no longer represent the cottage industry and are subject to more regulation and stronger safeguards for patients seeking access to the drug. Insisted that it should be.

After a few months, tRack and trace remains a point of disagreement between regulators and the industry.

“We understand that inventory tracking is one of the most controversial aspects of rule-making for medical marijuana proposed in 2021 (of the Policy Department), and the Department has the Medical Marijuana Workgroup for consideration. We have provided limited follow-up suggestions to the agency, “the agency wrote in the report.

The proposal requires that only registered clinics, caregivers operating retail stores, and registered marijuana testing facilities use the state tracking contractor Metrc, others voluntarily. I can. The agency estimates that mandate applies to 300-400 out of approximately 3,100 registrants.

“The consensus of the group was that participants (of the medical program) should not be required to use Metrc,” the report said.

Some people agree that some form of record keeping is required, and one alternative includes tracking individual plants from seed to sale at the batch level rather than tracking them individually. Was there.

Opposed to electronic tracking

Others continued to oppose electronic tracking.

According to the report, the Marijuana Policy Agency continues to believe in the value of tracking systems, but does not propose rules that include the use of Metrc, the tracking service currently used in adult programs.

Burnett said he was happy to see the group categorically rejecting what the group called “the overwhelming Big Brother Data Huber.”

“There is no such strict, drug war, crime prevention approach to cannabis regulation in our society,” he added, adding that it should also be abolished in adult programs.

In LD1242, one of the bills that required a working group, departments could use existing resources to bring about new rules and changes before implementing a state-wide electronic portal for the caregiver business. We need to investigate certain economic implications and how they affect them. Patient access to medical marijuana.

Authorities also needed to use existing resources to conduct investigations to assess the potential economic impact of new rules and proposed changes.

The Marijuana Policy Department also recommended that the Legislature implement the “mandatory testing system” of the program, despite no agreement from the Working Group.

Currently, adult programs require testing, but medical programs do not.

According to the report, the group considered several options. This includes testing programs similar to office tracking proposals that only affect commercial organizations such as stores and pharmacies. Another option was a voluntary testing program that introduced labeling of untested products.

However, the working group was unable to reach consensus.

Also test the problem

Some have agreed that medical cannabis is a drug and needs to be tested. Others have argued that it should not be done as an produce.

According to the report, “Most members seemed to support some form of testing if they could test in a way that minimized the impact on price.”

“The extent to which we can introduce mandatory tests into programs that did not previously require mandatory tests will be a discussion of important policies to implement,” officials said in a report.

Other recommendations to the Commission include allowing medical marijuana cardholders to present an electronic copy of the certificate in place of the current hard copy requirements, and the pediatric patient certification process. It included revisions to be more comprehensive and more closely aligned with the adult process.

Some recommendations were not directed to action from Congress, nor to future considerations for offices or lawmakers to move forward.

For example, the workgroup unanimously decided that patient confidentiality should be a priority when considering future regulatory or statutory changes.

In addition, when the Veterans and Legal Commission reviewed the decree, the Secretariat recommended that: Strengthen the relationship between healthcare providers and the patients they serve. “

Following Monday’s presentation, the Legislature Veterans and Legal Committee will review industry group reports to consider how to advance potential legislation.

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