A Low-Potency but Effective Strain From Colorado Offers Maine Families Hope, but Also Tests the Legal Limits of Medicinal Pot, Highlighting How Far Some Parents Will Go to Alleviate the Suffering of Kids Who Have Epilepsy. On a dark night in November, Meagan Patrick drove from her home in Acton with her husband, Ken, and their two children to a medicinal marijuana dispensary in Portland. Ken parked and went in, while Meagan and the kids waited in the car. "It was literally in a back alley," said Meagan, a 31-year-old third-grade teacher. [continues 2496 words]
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The mansion that serves as Maine headquarters of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union lay largely fallow until recently, with drug needles, liquor bottles and pornographic magazines littering the grounds. Now, in the state where Prohibition had its roots and in a city that just legalized recreational marijuana, the WCTU is overhauling the building and looking to reinvent itself. Leaders of the organization, which is committed to abstinence, plan to take a lower-key approach, compared with the old days when crusading women terrorized saloon owners. [continues 714 words]
Editor, Colorado Re-legalized cannabis (marijuana) over a year ago and the sky hasn't fallen. Maine citizens will witness the same in Portland (City Officials Say Discretion Will Play Major Role in Marijuana Enforcement, Dec. 6, 2013) and legalize the God-given plant throughout the state. It's not a matter of if but rather when. Further, Police Chief Michael Sauschuck is mistaken, the federal government erroneously labels cannabis a Schedule I substance alongside heroin while cocaine and meth are only Schedule II substances. For credibility, Congress should reschedule cannabis immediately. Truthfully, Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
Just as the city's ordinance that legalizes the possession and use of a small quantity of marijuana takes effect, a local group is taking steps to educate kids about the use of the substance. The 21 Reasons coalition will distribute a pamphlet produced by the National Institutes of Health - "Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know" - in all of Portland's high and middle schools to counter kids' perceptions of marijuana use in light of the new ordinance that was passed in November, according to a press release. [continues 165 words]
Leading by example is one of the top three "to-do's," in almost every parenting survival guide. We all know it, but the expression, "Do as I say, not as I do," has gone through the minds (if not the mouths) of every parent who ever existed. We've all had those minor moments where we profess social/moral/ethical correctness but, because we're human, may occasionally exhibit behavior otherwise. Saying but not always doing things like: "Buckle up. You'll get a ticket"; "Turn off those lights, we're not the sole supporters of CMP"; "Where's your coat? It's the arctic north out there." [continues 948 words]
Discretion. That's what city officials say is the key component of how Portland's new marijuana ordinance will be enforced in light of state and federal laws still being in play. The Portland Green Independent Committee hosted a forum on the city's new legalization ordinance on Thursday, as the new city law will take effect today (Friday). Tom MacMillan, chairman of the Portland Green Independent Committee, said the forum was designed to educate the public about the ordinance and how it will be enforced by the Portland Police Department. [continues 560 words]
PORTLAND, Maine - An ordinance legalizing possession of marijuana for nonmedical use in Maine's largest city goes into effect Friday. Last month, Portland voters approved by a wide margin the legalization measure, which allows individuals 21 or older to carry 2.5 ounces or less of the drug according to city rules. While medical use of marijuana has been legal in Maine since 1999, and larger scale medical marijuana dispensaries have been legal since 2009, the Portland ordinance is the first in the state to legalize pot for recreational purposes. [continues 553 words]
The new city law legalizes possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for adults 21 and older, but Police Chief Michael Sauschuck has said police will continue enforcing the state law, since it supersedes local ordinances. Portland's new ordinance declaring marijuana possession by adults to be legal within city limits takes effect on Friday, and city officials are trying to prevent the type of celebration that took place on election night. Several proponents celebrated the lopsided passage of the ordinance by smoking a foot-long joint outside a downtown bar. [continues 482 words]
Thursday's vote means a bill to legalize small amounts of marijuana throughout the state won't be able to be reintroduced before 2015. Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, said her effort to put a statewide marijuana legalization bill before lawmakers in January's legislative session failed because of opposition from one-time allies. Russell said Friday night that those who opposed her bill latched onto elements of a draft she circulated without giving her, or fellow legislators, time to consider alternatives on matters including a tax rate for pot and ways to clean up the records of past offenders. [continues 589 words]
State Rep. Diane Russell is hoping that Portland voters' decision this month to legalize the recreational use of marijuana will propel her third attempt to pass a bill allowing the sale and taxation of the drug statewide. But the group that petitioned for the new Portland ordinance - as well as marijuana caregivers, dispensary owners and youth drug prevention advocates - don't want to see the Portland Democrat's bill move forward. The state's Legislative Council is slated to decide Thursday whether to allow Russell's proposal, and others, to be taken up as "emergency bills" in the next session, which starts in January. [continues 253 words]
The Vote to Legalize Pot Could Affect the City's Image and Businesses for Better or for Worse. Portland is a quaint, seaside city with cobblestone streets and a working waterfront. It's known for its vibrant restaurant, music and art scenes. Now Portland is known nationally as the first city on the East Coast to vote in favor of legalizing marijuana. The vote was largely symbolic because state and federal prohibition laws supersede local ordinances. Proponents of the ordinance said the vote sends a strong signal to state lawmakers that marijuana should be legal. [continues 965 words]
Portland, Maine - Two days after Portland police said they would "use their discretion" to enforce state law regarding possession of marijuana, the group that spearheaded passage of a new city ordinance legalizing recreational use said they expect police to yield to the will of the people. On Election Day, more than 67 percent of Portland voters approved of a new city ordinance to legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in the city. The law will become effective on Dec. 6, 30 days after the vote. [continues 247 words]
It's Highly Unlikely That Employers, Landlords, Hotels and Businesses in Portland Will Permit Pot Smoking. Portland may have become the first city on the East Coast to legalize recreational marijuana use, but residents who think this means they can light up, even in the privacy of their home, might need to think twice. Employers will still be able to forbid their employees to use marijuana, and if that employer receives any federal funding, it is expressly prohibited from allowing any employees to use the drug. [continues 901 words]
PORTLAND, Maine - Two days after Portland police said they would "use their discretion" to enforce state law regarding possession of marijuana, the group that spearheaded passage of a new city ordinance legalizing recreational use of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana said they expect police to yield to the will of the people. On Tuesday, more than 67 percent of Portland voters approved of a new city ordinance to legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in the city. The law will become effective on Dec. 6, 30 days after the vote. [continues 248 words]
Portland became the first city on the East Coast to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, on Tuesday. Portland voters approved a citizens referendum that legalized the recreational use of marijuana in city limits by a vote of 9,921 to 4,823, according to unofficial results released by the city clerk Tuesday night. "Most Portlanders, like most Americans, are fed up with our nation's failed marijuana prohibition laws," said David Boyer, the Maine political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. "We applaud Portland voters for adopting a smarter marijuana policy, and we look forward to working with city officials to ensure it is implemented." The ordinance will allow adults, who are at least 21 years old, to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and requisite paraphernalia for recreational use. While people can use marijuana on their personal property, the language bars them from using it on any public infrastructure, including sidewalks, parks and roadways; but landlords and building owners can opt to bar smoking on their property. [continues 448 words]
Proponents of the marijuana legalization effort in Portland said Tuesday's ballot initiative is the first step toward Maine dropping its prohibition on the substance. Portland voters on Tuesday will decide on whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age, and proponents of the measure say it's a first step toward a wider acceptance of marijuana use in Maine. "We believe this is the next step toward moving away from prohibition," said Maine Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, and a step toward enacting statewide legislation that would tax and regulate legalized marijuana in Maine [continues 214 words]
Soon residents in Portland will vote on whether to decriminalize possession of marijuana for recreational use. Some people I've talked with believe that if they choose not to use marijuana, they won't be affected in a negative way if this passes. Proponents say marijuana is less addictive than alcohol and causes less damage to the brain than alcohol and that related health care costs are less. That tells me it causes some brain damage and addiction, and creates some health-related costs. [continues 228 words]
Several state representatives and a local business owner are expected to throw their support behind an initiative that would legalize possession of marijuana by adults in Portland. Reps. Benjamin Chipman, Matthew Moonen, Diane Russell and Peter Stuckey are supporting Question 1, the initiative to legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group is supporting the Portland referendum and trying to legalize marijuana in 10 states in the coming years. [continues 130 words]
There Are Many Compelling Reasons Not to Legalize Pot in the City. There Is No Good Reason to Do So. The message of Portland's marijuana referendum is clear: If a city doesn't like a state law, it can simply vote to ignore it. That's a dangerous precedent. After all, why should a city comply with an unpopular law when it can follow the =93Portland model,=94 supported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, and vote to exempt itself? [continues 686 words]
As I like to say, anything is a drug if you treat it like a drug. We all know marijuana is an excellent relaxant and stimulant, such as tea. I know alcohol abuse will go down and keep Portland even safer. I am not against alcohol by any means, I am after all a bartender and beer brewer by trade. But alcohol is abused and we all know it can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis, and death, whereas marijuana has never claimed any lives from over usage. Please make it possible for us and our future generations to enjoy all aspects of life, we should be able to live happily and free as our fore fathers intended. Please make the right choice, the responsible choice, on Portland Question 1. Isaac Stroe Portland [end]
Maine, 'The Next Domino' Portland to Vote Nov. 5 on Recreational Marijuana for Those 21 and Over PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Advocates of recreational marijuana use are looking to an upcoming vote in Maine as an indicator of whether the East Coast is ready to follow in the footsteps of Washington and Colorado by legalizing cannabis. Voters in Portland are being asked whether they want to make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess - but not purchase or sell - up to 2.5 ounces of pot. The Nov. 5 vote is being eyed nationally as momentum grows in favor of legalizing marijuana use. [continues 717 words]
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Advocates of recreational marijuana use are looking to an upcoming vote in Maine as an indicator of whether the East Coast is ready to follow in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington by legalizing cannabis. Voters in Portland are being asked whether they want to make it legal for adults 21 and over to possess - but not purchase or sell - up to 2.5 ounces of pot. The Nov. 5 vote is being eyed nationally as momentum grows in favor of legalizing marijuana use. [continues 316 words]
As National Views Over Recreational Use Gradually Shift, Will Next Month's Vote in Portland Prove That Change Is in the Air? PORTLAND - Melissa Thomas is a 38-year-old interior designer for a local paint company. She has a 5-year-old son, and she is engaged to be married. She shows up to work on time, and belongs to a book club and mothers groups. She pays her bills and is closing on the purchase of a house in South Portland next month. [continues 1796 words]
An effort to legalize marijuana in Portland is on the move - literally. The Marijuana Policy Project, one of the groups involved in the Yes on Question 1 campaign, rolled out a series of advertisements placed on four METRO buses and two bus shelters on Wednesday. The ads are aimed at the promoting marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol and attempt to de-stigmatize people who us it. "Americans realized the prohibition on alcohol failed," said David Boyer, the MPP's Maine political director. "The same can be said for marijuana prohibition." [continues 411 words]
The Vote May Come in 2016 As Advocates Try to Get New England States to Allow Recreational Use. WASHINGTON - Bolstered by political victories out West, a marijuana advocacy group is now looking at Maine and other New England states as fertile ground for its next major push to legalize a drug that's gaining wider acceptance from the American public. The Marijuana Policy Project plans to pursue ballot initiatives or legislative efforts in 10 states to legalize pot for recreational use by essentially regulating it like alcohol or tobacco. Four of those states are in New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. [continues 786 words]
You can almost see the IQ points evaporating. The stoners pushing a referendum to legalize the use of marijuana by adults in Maine's most populous city seem to be growing dopier by the toke - in both senses of dopier. Their campaign to turn Portland into Potland relies heavily on an ill-considered premise that's guaranteed to turn off potential supporters. Let me be clear - or at least as clear as the smokeladen air surrounding this issue allows. I think laws banning the possession and use of marijuana by those 21 or older are stupider and more outdated than Cheech and Chong routines. [continues 723 words]
Maine residents suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder will soon be allowed to treat their symptoms with medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it, an advocacy group reported Wednesday. A bill adding PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana, LD 1062, became law Tuesday without the governor's signature, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. A similar measure was signed into law earlier this month in Oregon, and medical marijuana is currently allowed in the treatment of PTSD in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and New Mexico, the group reported. [continues 122 words]
The City Council is ready to hear what Portland residents have to say about an effort to decriminalize marijuana in the city. The council set a public hearing for a proposed ordinance that aims to decriminalize recreational marijuana use in Portland, after receiving a petition to put the question to a referendum. The hearing, which is set for July 15, will collect input on the proposed ordinance that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults who are 21 years of age or older. The Citizens for a Safer Portland Coalition attained 2,508 valid signatures through a petition drive to get the question on the ballot so Portland voters can decide on decriminalization. [continues 319 words]
The City Council's public hearing comes in response to a petition for legalized recreational marijuana. PORTLAND - The City Council voted unanimously Monday to hold a public hearing July 15 on whether the city should legalize recreational use of marijuana. The ordinance is proposed by a group of residents who collected more than 3,200 signatures to put the issue to voters. Only 1,500 valid signatures were needed to put the question on the ballot. Last week, the City Clerk's Office certified 2,508 signatures. [continues 285 words]
The Measure Will Take Effect As Soon As It Is Signed by Gov. Lepage, Whose Administration Supports It. AUGUSTA - Medical marijuana dispensaries in Maine will be allowed to treat plants with certain low-risk pesticides if a bill enacted Friday by the Legislature becomes law. L.D. 1531, an emergency measure sponsored by Sen. Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton, a former chairman of the Maine Board of Pesticides Control, passed in the House without a roll-call vote Friday. The Senate passed it Thursday. [continues 476 words]
AUGUSTA - Medical marijuana dispensaries would be allowed to treat plants with certain low-risk pesticides if a bill enacted by the Maine Legislature on Friday makes it into law. The bill, L.D. 1531, an emergency measure sponsored by Sen. Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton, a former chairman of the Maine Board of Pesticides Control, passed the House of Representatives without a roll-call vote on Friday. The Senate passed it on Thursday. It would take effect as soon as Gov. Paul LePage, whose administration supports the bill, signs it. [continues 472 words]
We already have tension between state and federal law, and don't need an ineffective local ordinance that is at odds with both. Marijuana is illegal. Unless you live in Washington state or Colorado. Then you can smoke it as much as you want. Or unless you live in Maine or one of 17 other states where medical marijuana is legal, and you suffer from a condition approved for treatment. You can buy your medicine at a state government-approved dispensary, and you should be safe from prosecution - unless the U.S. attorney general changes his mind and starts aggressively enforcing the trafficking laws again. Then your dispensary could get busted. [continues 308 words]
Tom MacMillan PORTLAND, Maine - A push to legalize recreational marijuana in Maine's largest city appears poised to go before Portland voters this fall. A coalition of political groups and activists who want make possession of the drug legal for adults turned in a petition Thursday with more than 3,200 signatures, twice the 1,500 signatures needed to place the measure on the November ballot. Led by the Portland Green Independent Committee, the coalition submitted the petition to city officials, paving the way for voters to weigh in on the citizen initiative this fall. The city has 15 days to review the signatures and certify the petition. [continues 511 words]
The proposed ordinance would allow those 21 or older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of pot, while prohibiting its use in public spaces, such as parks, schools and sidewalks. PORTLAND - A proposal to legalize small amounts of marijuana possession for adults in the city is likely to go to Portland voters this fall. A coalition of proponents, led by the Portland Green Party, on Thursday morning handed in petitions with more than 3,200 signatures to city officials, the first step toward putting the proposal on the November ballot. The city requires 1,500 valid signatures for citizen initiatives to gain a spot on the ballot. [continues 125 words]
Opponents See It As a Danger to Society and in Conflict With Federal Law, but the Plan Isn't Dead Yet. A proposal to legalize and tax marijuana in Maine failed to win support from a legislative committee Tuesday. The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 8-3 against endorsing L.D. 1229, sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland. Russell and other advocates say that legalizing recreational use of marijuana would bring the existing marijuana trade aboveboard and produce both tax revenue and business income. [continues 527 words]
Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor Maine | Friday, May 3, 2013 at 5:00 pm AUGUSTA - Dozens testified Friday on a bill that would let Maine voters decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Those in favor of the change told the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee that prohibition doesn't work and the country's 30-year war on drugs has been a failure. "As a fiscal conservative, I'm very concerned about useless government programs that create waste and waste taxpayer dollars and increase the deficit," Ashley Ryan of Portland told the committee. Ryan is a national committeewoman for the Maine Republican Party. [continues 932 words]
Legalization Could Shut Down Medical Pot Providers AUGUSTA - Medical marijuana groups are wary of a bill that would legalize and tax marijuana in Maine. Estimates nationwide suggest if marijuana were legal, much of the profit gained by medical retailers and black-market criminals would disappear. That worries Glenn Peterson, the owner of Canuvo, a Biddeford medical-marijuana dispensary. He also serves as president of the Maine Association of Dispensary Operators, a trade group made up of five Maine dispensary owners. Peterson said his group is concerned that the bill could "eliminate the medical marijuana industry" in Maine. [continues 1109 words]
In the history of the city of Lafayette, Colo., my resignation probably went down as one of the more memorable. I left my position as a municipal court judge in protest of a proposal to increase the penalties for marijuana possession in the city. Some people agreed with my stance, some disagreed, but I suspect the majority of people probably found it frivolous: Did this guy really give up such a powerful position just so he could smoke a doobie in the afternoon? [continues 596 words]
This letter is in response to a March 29 column called " Marijuana legalization: An easy way out, " by Dr. Robert Q. Dana at the University of Maine. Dana apparently assumes drug prohibition keeps people from using drugs. Drug prohibition does not keep people from using drugs. If anything, it facilitates drug use by turning distribution and sale over to drug dealers who will sell anything to anybody. For at least the past 30 years, teens have reported that it is easier for them to get marijuana than alcohol. To buy alcohol you need to be of legal age and prove it. To buy marijuana all you need is money. We need legal regulated sale so we, not drug dealers, are in charge of distribution and sale. [continues 149 words]
AUGUSTA, Maine - A bill that would let Maine voters decide in a statewide referendum if the state should legalize marijuana for recreational use saw dozens of people testify before the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Friday. Those who support the law change said prohibition doesn't work and the country's 30-year war on drugs has been a failure. "As a fiscal conservative I'm very concerned about useless government programs that create waste and waste taxpayer dollars and increase the deficit," Ashley Ryan of Portland told the committee. Ryan is a national committeewoman for the Maine Republican Party. [continues 1096 words]
Robert Long, Bangor Daily News Maine | Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 4:20 pm AUGUSTA - A bill to legalize recreational use of marijuana and regulate it like alcohol in Maine has garnered 35 co-sponsors and now heads to a legislative committee hearing. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, would make major changes in Maine's drug law, ranging from making possession of up to 2.5 ounces of pot legal to imposing a tax of $50 per ounce. It was referred to the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday. [continues 566 words]
The people of Colorado and Washington state are way ahead of the politicians in Washington, D.C. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize violent drug cartels, prohibition is a grand success. The drug war distorts supply and demand dynamics so that big money grows on little trees. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to deter use, prohibition is a catastrophic failure. The United States has double the rate of use as the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. The criminalization of Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis has no basis in science. The war on marijuana consumers is a failed cultural inquisition, not an evidence-based public health campaign. This country can no longer afford to subsidize the prejudices of culture warriors. It's time to stop the pointless arrests and instead tax legal marijuana. Robert Sharpe, MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy www.csdp.org Washington, D.C. [end]
AUGUSTA, Maine - Lawmakers from opposite ends of the political spectrum unveiled a bill Thursday that would give Mainers the chance to legalize marijuana for recreational use in a statewide referendum. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, and co-sponsored by Rep. Aaron Libby, R-Waterboro, would make vast changes in Maine's drug law, ranging from making possession of up to 2.5 ounces of pot legal to imposing a tax of $50 per ounce. Russell and others argued during a press conference Thursday afternoon at the State House that laws against marijuana have enmeshed too many nonviolent offenders in the legal system and deprived government coffers of millions of dollars in revenue. Russell estimated that taxing and regulating marijuana could generate up to $13 million a year, three-quarters of which she proposes routing into the state's General Fund, which supports the majority of state government including public education and most social services. The rest of the revenue would pay for implementation of the law, substance abuse treatment and prevention programs, and research on the effects of marijuana. [continues 444 words]
PORTLAND, Maine - U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine is one of 13 co-sponsors of a bill that supporters say would end marijuana prohibition at the federal level. News of the proposed legislation came on the same day that a petition drive seeking to legalize pot possession began in Portland, the largest city in Pingree's home state. The effort to decriminalize marijuana at a federal level also comes as state Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, is pursuing a bill in Augusta to do so at the state level. [continues 691 words]
Dispensing a Solution BIDDEFORD, Maine - Glenn Peterson owns a business in the lower level of a commercial condominium office complex off of busy Route 111. His work is done behind a series of securely locked doors. The only way to get in is to be buzzed in. Only if you are expected. Only if you are recognized. Inside is where Mr. Peterson, a self-described frugal farmer and artist, plies his trade. "I don't make things. I solve problems creatively," Mr. Peterson said. [continues 2495 words]
Years ago advocates for the legalization of marijuana were fond of citing the fact the marijuana was the second largest cash crop in the United States, corn being the first. Wanting to verify that, I did some checking and found that it's no longer true. Come to find out, in spite of years of government eradication efforts, marijuana is now the largest cash crop in the country, exceeding the combined value of the corn and wheat crops by $5 billion annually. [continues 731 words]
Two years ago, Sharon Gagne of Greenbush discovered she had two herniated disks in her neck. Her doctor told her surgery was not an option and instead encouraged physical therapy and prescribed a painkiller. "I didn't like that," she said. "I know too many people who got hooked." Gagne, 44, eventually asked about other options. Her doctor referred her to Dr. Dustin Sulak, an osteopath who has become known throughout Maine for his willingness to certify patients for medical marijuana. Gagne's physician sent her medical records to Sulak, who then spoke twice on the phone with Gagne. [continues 2627 words]
Laxer limits raise fears of doctor shopping and make it impossible to track the number of legitimate users Two years ago, Sharon Gagne of Greenbush discovered she had two herniated disks in her neck. Her doctor told her surgery was not an option and instead encouraged physical therapy and prescribed a painkiller. "I didn't like that," she said. "I know too many people who got hooked." Gagne, 44, eventually asked about other options. Her doctor referred her to Dr. Dustin Sulak, an osteopath who has become known throughout Maine for his willingness to certify patients for medical marijuana. Gagne's physician sent her medical records to Sulak, who then spoke twice on the phone with Gagne. [continues 2628 words]
The Maine State Housing Authority has agreed to let tenants in subsidized housing continue using and growing medical marijuana at home for another six months - and hopefully, permanently. The agency announced earlier this month that it would no longer allow people who use rental assistance to possess, use or cultivate medical marijuana in apartments where rent and utilities are federally subsidized under the program known as Section 8, according to a prepared statement from the authority, dated Oct. 3. The statement went on to say, "MaineHousing recently became aware of a few Section 8 voucher holders who use, possess or cultivate medical marijuana in their Section 8 units. These tenants have been notified about the new policy and given the opportunity to comply with it. ... Federal law prohibits illegal controlled substances such as marijuana in Section 8-subsidized housing units. In regards to medical marijuana use, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the federal HCV program, does not allow public housing authorities such as MaineHousing to admit a medical marijuana user into the program. [continues 442 words]
Tenants in subsidized housing can continue to use or grow medical marijuana in their homes for another six months, the Maine State Housing Authority's commissioners decided Tuesday. The commissioners unanimously voted to put a 180-day moratorium on a policy it enacted last month banning the use, possession and cultivation of medical marijuana in housing subsidized through its Section 8 program. Despite having decided the issue, which the board had been discussing since June, it allowed additional comments about the policy at its meeting Tuesday. [continues 577 words]
Inside Maine
