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131st MAINE LEGISLATURE |
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LD 1686 |
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LR 1720(02) |
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An Act to
Eliminate Unconstitutional Restrictions on Access to Cannabis by Removing
Certain Restrictions on Medical Use and Personal Use and to Recognize
Cannabis and Hemp as Food Protected as a Right Under the Constitution of
Maine |
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Fiscal Note for
Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " " |
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Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs |
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Fiscal Note Required: Yes |
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| Fiscal Note |
Current biennium savings - General Fund (Corrections)
Potential current biennium cost increase - General Fund (Attorney
General)
Potential current biennium revenue decrease - General Fund
Potential current biennium revenue decrease - Other Special Revenue Funds
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FY 2023-24 |
FY 2024-25 |
Projections FY 2025-26 |
Projections FY 2026-27 |
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Other Special Revenue Funds |
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$0 |
($10,000) |
($10,000) |
($10,000) |
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| Correctional and
Judicial Impact Statements |
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Eliminates Class
A, B, C, D and E crimes by removing marijuana related provisions from the
Maine Criminal Code. The current average cost of incarcerating one individual
for a single year is $55,203.
There may be a minor reduction of workload associated with the minimal
number of cases that will no longer be filed in the court system. Reductions
in the collection of fines will decrease General Fund or other dedicated
revenue by minor amounts. |
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| Fiscal Detail
and Notes |
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This bill removes
restrictions on the number of cannabis plants or seedlings a person may
transfer or furnish without remuneration, the number of cannabis plants and
seedlings a person may possess, cultivate, or transport, and the amount of
cannabis produced by cannabis plants and seedlings permitted at a person's
place of residence or at the location where the cannabis was cultivated. It
also removes limitations on the amount of cannabis a qualifying patient may
possess, cultivate or harvest for that patient's medical use under the Maine
Medical Use of Cannabis Act. |
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By allowing
individuals to posess more cannabis for personal use, they may opt to
purchase fewer cannabis products from retail stores. That could decrease
revenue to the General Fund and Other Special Revenue Funds due to the
reduction in sales and excise taxes. No estimate of the reduction is made at
this time. |
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Provisions of this
bill regarding hemp could result in the State's hemp program becoming
non-compliant with federal laws governing hemp. The Department of Agriculture, Conservation
and Forestry estimates a loss of roughly 20% of the current hemp acreage if
the State's program is no longer federally compliant. This would reduce Other
Special Revenue Funds revenue by $10,000 annually beginning in fiscal year
2024-25. |
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Provisions of this
bill may conflict with current federal guidance on how individual states
approach regulation of medical cannabis programs. This may result in
additional enforcement actions by the federal government and litigation costs
to the Office of the Attorney General. |
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