Gov. LePage vetoed Maine’s legislative effort to regulate and tax the sale of adult-use marijuana on Friday, which promptly ignited today’s effort to override the governor’s assault on the citizen-backed initiative.
Now, back in the state capital, elected officials in both the House and Senate will need to cultivate a two-thirds majority vote to override the governor’s Ill-conceived veto – no later than Monday at midnight.
On Friday, the Maine Governor authored a letter explaining his position. LePage cited his ongoing anxiety over how the Trump administration would ultimately handle a “bifurcated” system that creates a noteworthy conflict between federal and state policy.
“Until I clearly understand how the federal government intends to treat states that seek to legalize marijuana, I cannot in good conscience support any scheme in state law to implement expansion of legal marijuana in Maine,” wrote Gov. LePage.
Predictably, prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Maine applauded the governor’s veto via twitter, calling any implementation of LD 1650 “reckless pot implementation.”
SAM Maine Chairman, Scott Gagnon, praised the governor’s veto and noted, “We fully expect the Legislature will do the right thing for our youth and communities and to sustain the veto.”
Question 1 was initially passed by Maine’s voters by the slimmest of margins during the 2016 general election – approximately 4,000 votes. The pro-pot initiative required recreational sales be established by Dec. 31, 2017.
While not exactly legal at the moment, individuals caught in possession of less than 2 ½ ounces of marijuana currently face no penalty, no incarceration, and absolutely no fine.
credit:marijuana.com