Maine Voters First To License Medical Pot Shops

Maine voters became the first to license nonprofit organizations to sell medical marijuana on Tuesday, with the state's Question 5 cruising to a landslide victory. With roughly half of the precincts reporting, six in ten Maine voters had tallied in favor of allowing state-licensed nonprofits to distribute pot to approved patients.

Two other states -- Rhode Island and New Mexico -- have approved such nonprofits, but Maine is the first to do so through the ballot box. In California and Colorado, the dispensaries are not specifically regulated as pot shops, but rather as businesses in compliance with state laws.

Rhode Island, New Mexico and Maine, by more tightly regulating distribution, present a model counter to California's. As more states approve licensed dispensaries, the debate will shift from whether medical marijuana should be legal to how it should be produced and distributed - a resounding victory for advocates and patients.

Thirteen states permit the medical use of marijuana.

Maine's election result can be partially credited to President Obama's announcement that he would not raid or prosecute patients or dispensaries in compliance with state laws. The decision was first announced in February and codified in a memo on October 19.

In Breckenridge, Colorado, meanwhile, voters overwhelmingly approved the use of marijuana not merely for the ill, but the well, too. With 72 percent in favor, the townsfolk voted to allow the possession of bongs, other paraphernalia and up to an ounce of marijuana.

Ryan Grim is the author of This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

Comments

[Kasado]

04:58 PM on 11/04/2009

The state has determined that as a 21 year old man I am responsible enough to consume the dangerous drug alcohol, yet I am not mature enough to choose pot and society will be harmed if I do.

[skatoolaki]

05:10 PM on 11/05/2009

Blows the mind, doesn't it?

(No pun intended ^_^)

[melissa84008]

10:34 AM on 11/08/2009

I totally agree! check out: http:/jsknow.angelfire.com/home or [e-mail] Alot of people are misinformed

[mainemichael]

04:35 PM on 11/04/2009

From personal observation It was some churches that rallied the strongest opposition to same-gender marriage in Maine, mostly fundamentalist and Catholic institutions. Sermons to congregations and big signs in front of buildings made a critical difference. They seem to be blind about how their actions contravene "Judge not, lest ye be judged." On the bright side a 47% positive vote is nothing to sneeze at and the weight of opinion will continue shifting towards individual freedom.

As to medical marijuana, 60% is a strong endorsement. Hooray...I'm looking forward to sampling more than my homegrown.

Overall, these are issues that would have been smashed at the polls 20 years ago. Times have changed. Maine is becoming much more progressive.

[empiricalWeb]

04:17 PM on 11/04/2009

I'm hoping this means all the old bigots in our state have can.cer and are in dire need of Medical Marijuana...

Hoping they all have something end-stage, we could probably put Gay Marriage to a vote next November and WIN for equality.

This is all wishful thinking however...

[Ravenback47]

04:08 PM on 11/04/2009

Yeah Maine I get it. It's OK to get stoned but it's not OK for two people who love each other to get married. I sure love your priorities. Sarcasm intended.

[Niasia]

03:27 PM on 11/04/2009

Hey I am all for this...but you can't let gays get married just yet huh? Maybe you should put more in your pipe and smoke it that way you all can come to your senses!

[Dalm]

02:59 PM on 11/04/2009

breckenbridge Colorado legalized yesterday too, up to 1 ounce. slowly but surely it's gaining ground people are opening their eyes! the days of reefer madness are almost at an end

[fumes]

07:46 PM on 11/07/2009

well i'm still mad for reefer lol..

...'ere!

[MTmel]

02:52 PM on 11/04/2009

I am ALL for allowing people to make independent choices, Maine folks. But how can you not extend those same rights in allowing people to choose who they spend their lives with? Are gay people really not entitlied to the same rights as us straight folks?

I just don't get it and at 49 years old will probably never understand this kind of narrow-minded thinking.
Grandma Mel

[NOXQZS]

03:53 PM on 11/04/2009

Gay marriage has NOTHING to do with helping ill folks have a dying chance or a chance at living decently until death occurs, explain to me how medicinal weed has anything to do with your gay marriage comments???

[Ravenback47]

04:29 PM on 11/04/2009

And smoking a joint is not a civil rights issue.

[skatoolaki]

05:11 PM on 11/05/2009

She didn't say gay marriage had anything to do with it, but there you go reading into people's comments things that aren't even there again.

What Grandma Mel is saying that if you are going to extend rights to some, you have to extend them to *all* - since this country supposedly stands for "freedom and equality for all", she has a valid point.

[GeorgeP922]

02:25 PM on 11/04/2009

I would love to meet a citizen who voted for legaliztion of marijuana, but voted to take away the rights of gay people.

The numbers are there.

Methinks Maine voters might be as stupid as Connecticut voters (Democrats that is)

Lieberman, now Prop 1? WTF you all should be ashamed.

[NOXQZS]

02:48 PM on 11/05/2009

I'd also like to meet you because I voted for medicinal weed and against gay marriage. Methinks you haven't a clue about Mainers and also, methinks you might be the stoopid one. You judge folks way too easily and harshly without facts, just like a repuke-lickan.

[skatoolaki]

05:15 PM on 11/05/2009

Judging by some comments on both Maine articles, some are. Likely as ashamed as I was when Louisiana voted against gay marriage, or a large number of Americans were when Bush was voted in for another term.

People have no problems taking away or denying rights to other based on their own convictions, personal morals, or religion. They forget that freedom is something you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others. "I don't like you or what you do" is enough of a reason for them to deny rights to their fellow Americans. It's sad, really, but time will change as the younger generations, who studies have shown are more open-minded to the rights of homosexuals, age and gain the right to vote.

This, too, shall pass. Eventually, gay people will be allowed to marry with the same federal benefits as straight people, and marijuana (if they can find a way to tax it that makes them happy) will be legal.

[NOXQZS]

05:37 PM on 11/09/2009

What do you know about freedom? What have you done to protect or preserve freedom? What have you done to make sure others are allowed their opinion? Have you served in the military and what do you know about the rights of those that do serve?

Eventually, adultery and bigamy and polygamy and beastiality and whatever other sexual deviations will be legal too huh?

[evonet]

02:01 PM on 11/04/2009

MAINE! you're awesome today. It's about time "the people" get what they want, not the greedy corp f's.

[SFkid]

01:55 PM on 11/04/2009

Maine: Pot is more important than Gay Marriage.

[NOXQZS]

03:53 PM on 11/04/2009

And that's how we voted, like it or not.

[Ravenback47]

04:31 PM on 11/04/2009

So if people voted to pull you off the street and kill you for reason other than you are you, then it's OK because that's how people voted. Using your inane logic.

[skatoolaki]

05:16 PM on 11/05/2009

For now.

[kkrimmer]

01:53 PM on 11/04/2009

Tobacco kills 100,000 a year
Alcohol kills tens of thousands in DUI's

But pot is bad?

[HLL]

01:12 PM on 11/04/2009

Right on Maine.

Can't we legalize all drugs and tax them? Import and export tax? It's something we haven't tried and would save trillions in "drug enforcement" fiascos and bring in trillions of dollars worth of taxes.

[Coinyer101]

01:07 PM on 11/04/2009

40 million hippies moving to Colorado.......,

[MTmel]

02:49 PM on 11/04/2009

Nah - I am happy as a (baked) clam here in MT!

[Grannysue]

12:50 PM on 11/04/2009

Too bad all the other States can't see fit to support this legislation, especially for medical use.

[Chili4me]

05:20 PM on 11/04/2009

Patience

[triple3spin]

12:48 PM on 11/04/2009

Long road there bud ! US should make pot legal long ago - but do they want to ?
I can drive across Canadian border right now and puff and huff - but is it healthy.
But medical pot should be available, it does have its contribution to well being.

[Chili4me]

05:24 PM on 11/04/2009

It's not what you smoke, but where you smoke it.