Legislative Update – VLA Committee Work Session on LD 1365 and LD 1847
The Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee held a work session at the Maine Legislature to review LD 1365 and LD 1847.
The work session on LD 1365 concluded with an “Ought Not to Pass” vote by the committee. However, several committee members expressed interest in revisiting and potentially reworking the bill at a later date.
The committee received a significant volume of emails and phone calls from constituents, including patients, caregivers, and dispensary owners, expressing concerns—particularly regarding LD 1847.
Key concerns raised about LD 1847 included:
Mandated testing and tracking down to the milligram
A proposed standard dosage limit of 10 mg, with any product exceeding 10 mg requiring blister packaging
Additional labeling and warning requirements
A proposal to classify future rulemaking as routine technical, which would remove oversight from the VLA Committee — a change not supported by stakeholders
At times, discussion during the work session was heated, with visible disagreement among committee members. Representatives from the Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) were present to provide testimony, answer questions, and offer their perspectives. Tensions remain elevated between OCP, industry stakeholders, and members of the legislative committee.
Toward the end of the work session, a group of stakeholders was asked to begin working collaboratively on alternative language related to testing and tracking requirements—language the industry could reasonably support. Ideas were shared among stakeholders and then discussed with Senator Jeff Timberlake and Senator Craig Hickman.
Stakeholders were instructed to draft proposed amendment language to be presented alongside amendments being prepared by the bill’s sponsor. These amendments will be reviewed together in a follow-up work group session next week to determine whether compromises can be reached. As a result, LD 1847 is expected to be substantially rewritten to reflect those discussions.
The deadline for this work is February 13, at which point additional details and outcomes are expected.
