Caregiver Bill in Maine Draws Criticism

A battle is brewing in Maine as the Department of Health and Human Services makes a move to exert more control over the state’s medical marijuana caregiver system. Like many other states, Maine’s caregiver system is regulated less than its medical marijuana dispensaries; now, those on the dispensary side of the industry are calling for additional oversight.

The DHHS has drafted LD 1392, a bill aimed at tightening regulations on medical marijuana caregivers. Under LD 1392, caregivers would be required to register with the state; caregivers that fail to comply would be fined $1,000 per day.

One important to distinction to make about the registration provision is that it would require every caregiver to register, including those who are just growing it for sick family members. That means parents growing medical marijuana to treat their children’s epilepsy would have to register with the state and pay the associated fees even though they wouldn’t be bringing in money for their services like a regular caregiver does.

With potentially thousands of dollars in new fees, caregivers like Samantha Brown are crying foul. “I am my daughter’s caregiver,” Brown told NPR. “Why should regulations that govern businesses now apply to myself as a mother providing for my daughter?”

The bill would also ban caregivers from giving away medical marijuana to potential patients and limit a patient’s 15-day supply of medical marijuana to 2.5 ounces, both of which have drawn criticism from the caregiver and patient community.

Many argue that banning donations will have a negative effect on low-income patients who rely on donations and that it would make it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions. Speaking with Bangor Daily News, caregiver Brandon Boatman explained how the donation ban would affect him.

“If I’m trying to find a patient, or a customer, my favorite thing to do is to give them a sample of my medicine,” Boatman said. “If I’m unable to give them a sample of my product, and we have to sign a contract just for them to try it, that’s not fair from a consumer point of view.”

However, there is always another side to every story; and from the viewpoint of many dispensaries in the state, things are not so cut and dry. To the state’s eight dispensary owners, it is unfair to have a whole litany of rules and regulations regarding retail locations while having lax requirements on individual caregivers.

Lauren Harper, a lobbyist for the Maine Association of Dispensary Operators, told the Portland Press Herald that dispensaries are “operating on an unlevel playing field with caregivers.” From a business stand point, that is an understandable sentiment to have. Why should dispensary owners jump through hoops when caregivers don’t have to?

Right or wrong, you can see where dispensary owners are coming from.

As it stands right now, there is not a lot of movement on LD 1392. Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services will eventually hold a work session on the bill, but the date has yet to be announced. That means there is still plenty of time for negotiations to address the legitimate concerns of all involved parties.

The truth is that dispensaries and caregivers should not be subject to unnecessary regulations. There are plenty of far more dangerous substances out there that are treated more equitably than marijuana. Hopefully, caregivers and dispensary owners can come to a reasonable agreement over the bill because the only people that benefit from industry infighting are the ones who want to do away with the whole system.

William Sumner is a freelance writer and marijuana journalist located in Panama City, FL. Passionate about writing, William is dedicated to journalistic integrity and providing quality insight on current events. You can follow him on Twitter @W_Sumner.

Related posts

Top