Overview
Pursuant to PL 2019, ch. 209 [LD 538], An Act to Ensure Access to Medical Cannabis for Visiting Qualifying Patients, as of June 6, 2019, medical cannabis patients visiting Maine from other jurisdictions are no longer required to obtain certification from a Maine-based medical provider or to designate a registered caregiver or dispensary in order to obtain medical cannabis.
Now, medical cannabis patients visiting Maine need only produce their state-issued registry identification card, certificate, or other state-issued documentation of the visiting patient’s status as a medical cannabis patient in their state of residence, in order to purchase medical cannabis while visiting Maine. The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy has reached out to states that authorize their residents to utilize cannabis for medicinal purposes to determine whether each state authorizes their resident patients to utilize their state-issued authorization to procure medical cannabis in other jurisdictions such as Maine. A visiting patient may only use their state-issued patient credential if their home state authorizes such use. From the list below patients visiting Maine can determine whether their state-issued patient credentials will allow them to purchase cannabis while visiting Maine. This list is subject to revision.
Product Limitations
Please note that the cannabis and cannabis products available to patients in Maine may differ substantially from those products available and authorized for use in the visiting patient’s state of residence. These differences include the form, concentration, and CBD minimum and THC maximum content allowable in cannabis and cannabis products under Maine’s Medical Use of Cannabis Program: it is the sole responsibility of the visiting patient to confer with their prescriber, caregiver, or dispensary staff to determine the appropriate cannabis or cannabis product and appropriate dosage to address the visiting patient’s needs, and to comply with any limitations imposed by their state of residence on the form, type, quantity, or delivery method for medical cannabis they are authorized to purchase or possess. A qualifying visiting patient may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of a combination of medical cannabis and cannabis products every 15 days while visiting the state.
Approved States
The following states have provided the Office of Cannabis Policy with sufficient information to allow qualified medical cannabis patients visiting Maine to use their state-issued medical cannabis patient credential to obtain medical cannabis while visiting Maine:
Approved states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Washington, DC.
Patients who are residents of these states may purchase from a registered dispensary or caregiver medical cannabis and/or cannabis products while visiting Maine, subject to the limitations imposed by the laws and rules of the State of Maine the laws and rules of their state of residence. This list is subject to change.
Disclaimer
Nothing contained in this summary shall be construed as legal advice nor may any visiting patient purchase cannabis for medical use if prohibited by their state of residence. Maine registered caregivers and dispensaries may refuse to provide medical cannabis to any visiting patient whose credentials are suspect or otherwise insufficient to determine whether the visitor is a qualified patient in their jurisdiction of residence.