In the continuing saga surrounding the development of rules for Maine’s recreational marijuana industry, state regulators hired a second consulting firm to aid the process – but they deny the decision is part of a settlement.
Here is the situation, according to the Portland Press Herald:
- Last December, the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services said it would give California-based Botec Analysis the contract to help draft recreational marijuana rules.
- After Freedman & Koski, a Denver-based firm, cried foul over the application scoring, the state did a do-over and, in March, tapped Freedman & Koski for a contract that topped just over $189,000.
- Botec appealed, and now the state said it will pay Botec $10,000 to analyze Freedman & Koski’s work. Botec has agreed to drop its appeal.
- A state official said the deal isn’t a settlement but that Botec will bring “another set of eyes” to the process.
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