Maine lawmakers have carried over a bill into 2026 that would have implemented testing and tracking requirements for the state’s medical cannabis industry.
The state requires adult-use cannabis to be tested for contaminants and potency, but the medical marijuana market hasn’t had such requirements, according to Portland Press Herald.
Maine is the only state that doesn’t require testing of medical marijuana, the newspaper pointed out.
A 2023 report by the state’s Office of Cannabis Policy found that about 45% of cannabis in Maine’s medical market would fail the standards the recreational market must adhere to.
The bill that was killed, Legislative Document 104, would have required seed-to-sale plant tracking and standardized chemical, mold and heavy metal testing of recreational and medical cannabis.
A measure that will be taken up next year, LD 1847, would do the same plus implement potency caps for edibles, the Post Herald reported.
“I have listened to and read testimony, and I’ve worked with public health advocates to make sure that the medical cannabis industry survives, thrives and (can) be regulated so that when patients buy cannabis, they know they have a safe product and they know what the potency is,” said Democratic Rep. Anne Graham, who sponsored LD 1847.
“Clearly our regulations and how we look at (testing), it needs work, a lot of work.”
Before the committee delayed taking up the bill until next year, it received about 1,000 pieces of written testimony criticizing Maine’s cannabis testing program and questioning the state’s standards, the Press Herald reported.
Maine Cannabis Union President Jennifer Belcher said if either bill is passed as written, it would kill Maine’s MMJ program.
