Maine gov verifies passage of adult-use MJ legalization

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has certified the results of the November measure in which voters passed recreational marijuana legalization by a margin of about 4,000 votes, or less than 1% of all ballots cast.

While announcing the certification on a local radio talk show Tuesday, LePage also said he wants the Maine Legislature to impose a moratorium on marijuana sales until more details are known about legalization, according to the Portland Press Herald.

LePage believes a moratorium would give lawmakers time to decide whether the state should continue its medical marijuana program once the adult-use program is up and running.

In addition, LePage said he wants lawmakers to first provide funding to establish a regulatory system for the new program.

“There’s nothing I can do until the legislature gives me money to set up the infrastructure,” LePage told WVOM radio.

However, David Boyer, who headed the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, noted the new law already gives state lawmakers up to nine months to develop recreational MJ regulations and that it was too soon for a moratorium.

“How do we know we need more time before we start?” Boyer told the Press Herald. “How about we get to work, and seven or eight months in, if we need more time, we cross that bridge when we come to it?”