132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1620		LR 1606(02)
	An Act to Amend the Laws Regulating the Testing of Adult Use Cannabis and Adult Use Cannabis Products
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2025-26	FY 2026-27	Projections  FY 2027-28	Projections  FY 2028-29
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$1,704,149	$1,841,159	$1,964,404	$2,094,892
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$1,704,149	$1,841,159	$1,964,404	$2,094,892
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill establishes a process by which adult use cannabis licensees may become eligible for audit-based testing in lieu of batch-by-batch mandatory contaminant testing. The Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) has indicated that this change will result in a significant number of cannabis and cannabis product batches no longer undergoing routine pre-sale testing. To maintain a minimum level of statutorily required oversight, the Office anticipates conducting audit testing on approximately 10% of these batches. This level of testing is not intended to replicate the existing system but to provide sufficient visibility into potential contamination to allow for enforcement actions such as product recalls.
	The bill includes ongoing General Fund appropriations of $900,679 to OCP beginning in fiscal year 2025-26 for one Chemist II position, one Field Investigator Supervisor position, 5 OCP Compliance Inspector positions and associated All Other position costs. The bill also includes ongoing General Fund appropriations of $803,470 to OCP beginning in fiscal year 2025-26 for the cost of testing products.  Testing costs are anticipated to increase by roughly 10% each fiscal year.