Article Drummond Woodsum: UPDATE REGARDING VISITING PATIENTS IN MAINE

UPDATE REGARDING VISITING PATIENTS IN MAINE

On June 6, 2019, Governor Mills signed An Act to Ensure Access to Medical Cannabis for Visiting Qualifying Patients. The emergency bill, which went into effect immediately, provided that medical marijuana patients visiting Maine would no longer be required to obtain certification from a Maine-based medical provider or designate a registered caregiver or dispensary on the blue form in order to obtain medical marijuana. The bill directed the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to maintain a list of other jurisdictions that authorize the medical use of marijuana and make that information available to registered caregivers and registered dispensaries. Each state must, under its own laws, allow its residents to use state-issued authorization to obtain medical marijuana in other states.

The Maine Office of Marijuana Policy (“OMP”) recently published a notice that includes an approved list of states for visiting patients.

Currently, registered caregivers and registered dispensaries in Maine may only transfer marijuana to patients from the following states (assuming the patient provides sufficient documentation):

Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Connecticut
Florida
Hawaii
Illinois
Maryland
Minnesota
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Washington
Washington, D.C.

Notably, New Hampshire and Massachusetts are not on the list. This is because those states have not responded to OMP’s request for information to date. The list is subject to change, and OMP will be updating the document as the office hears back from each state. We recommend checking the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program website regularly for updates. Drummond Woodsum’s Regulated Substances Group will continue to monitor developments in this area.

Authors / Contacts

Hannah E. King, Attorney
hking@dwmlaw.com
800.727.1941

Edward (Ted) J. Kelleher, Attorney
tkelleher@dwmlaw.com
800.727.1941

Malina E. Dumas, Attorney
mdumas@dwmlaw.com
800.727.1941

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