23 September 2016
This is their site http://maineprm.org/index.html
Here is their contact page where you can register with them but it does seem difficult to send them a message or communicate with them until they have decided to communicate with you
Also the site does not indicate who the founders / creators are and what the current membership base consists of
As you’ll see their proposals seem eminently sensible it would just be nice to know who you are dealing with.
Below are their FAQ’s
Does MPRM support Question 1 on Maine’s November ballot?
Each individual of the MPRM Coalition has their own perspective on Question 1. Some support Question 1, some support Question 1 with reservations and others do not support Question 1. What we all agree on is the marijuana industry in Maine must be about quality, safety and transparency and that this can only be accomplished through strict regulation and enforcement by state and local authorities.
What is MPRM advocating for?
MPRM members believe that medical and adult use marijuana should be subject to a robust regulatory environment to ensure the safety of consumers and communities as well as fairness in the marketplace.
Whether Question 1 on the November 2016 ballot passes or not, implementation is at stake. Maine Professionals for Regulating Marijuana (MPRM) is a coalition that supports comprehensive regulation of both medical and adult use marijuana in a legal marketplace to ensure the safety of consumers, businesses and communities.
MPRM members believe that this coalition is the right vehicle to gather and distribute data and information needed to inform policies makers in order for them to make appropriate regulatory decisions at the state and local levels. MPRM itself does not take a position on Question 1. MPRM is not an advocacy group for legalization.
Our definition of a robust regulatory environment is one that will ensure Maine people a quality, safe and transparent marketplace articulated around the following principles:
- There will be accountability at all levels from cultivation, production and dispensing to state and local enforcement.
- There will be stringent product safety requirements for the protection of the public, specifically our children.
- All businesses will abide by clear, stringent licensing and operating standards.
Various approaches to regulating the marketplace have happened already in other states, and in fact other countries. MPRM’s objective is to help Maine navigate those issues in order to meet the objective of assuring a quality, safe and transparent marketplace. How will we help? By providing data and information from legitimate, subject matter experts and institutions to answer questions such as, in no particular order:
- What should the consequences be for allowing marijuana to get into the hands of our children
- How can Maine help the marijuana industry move from an all cash business environment
- Can current existing regulated tax paying entities in the medical marijuana industry bridge the gap and help keep the black market from taking hold
- Should Maine unify the medical and adult use markets
- What is the right way to size the commercial market for Maine and avoid creating a situation where excess products find their way into a black market
- How important is it for this industry to be run by Maine citizens and to screen out people with prior drug or other serious offenses
- What opportunities are there for ancillary businesses to benefit and how
- What structure will best assure regulatory compliance
- What do municipalities need to help make local decisions
- Are there environmental concerns posed by an expanded Maine marijuana industry
- What will employers need to keep their workforce safe
- How much tax revenue should be raised and how should it be allocated (i.e. should it be used to supplement the state budget or be targeted to specific marijuana-related efforts)
- What has been the experience in other states and what are best practices
- What options will best assure product and consumer safety
Isn’t medical marijuana already regulated in Maine?
Yes, but MPRM does not believe that the current regulations provide for the robust and uniform regulation necessary to adequately address social, public health and safety concerns. For example, while medical marijuana is legal and there are labelling requirements, Maine has no packaging regulations or mandatory testing for marijuana products. While some participants in Maine’s medical marijuana market voluntarily test their products, the vast majority do not. Maine citizens have a right to know what is in their medicine.
Is testing of marijuana currently mandatory in Maine?
Current law does not require testing or labelling and disclosure of THC content and the cannabinoid profile. However, if a dispensary or caregiver chooses to label marijuana with testing information or its medicinal profile, then that label must be verified by a state licensed and independent laboratory. Testing and labeling should be required to ensure safety for consumers.
Other states, like Colorado and Washington, which have legalized marijuana for both medical and adult use, have developed robust mandatory potency and safety testing requirements. We support a common sense policy where testing must be done by an independent third party before being provided to consumers and patients.
At a minimum, mandatory testing should cover THC content, cannabinoid profile, residual solvents, toxins, pesticides, mold and mildew. Additionally, the state should develop safety standards for acceptable levels of various adulterates as well as disposal and recall rules for marijuana products that do not meet these standards.
What other steps does MPRM think Maine must take to ensure quality, safety and transparency?
The following is currently done in other states which have legalized adult use and/or medical marijuana:
- Strict licensing qualifications – utilizing existing regulated tax paying entities
- Limitation on number of licenses
- Mandatory inspections for regulatory compliance
- Mandatory safety testing
- Mandatory labeling requirements
- Security and surveillance requirements
- Banning advertising to minors
- 21 + enforcement
- Childproof packaging
- Buffer zones separating marijuana businesses and areas frequented by minors
- Public education
- Mandatory record keeping including records of all financial transactions and financial conditions; accounting and tax records; employee records
- Electronic and video seed to sale tracking
- Disposal requirements for waste, excess, or contaminated products
- Mandatory recalls
- Local safety inspections and state health and sanitation audits
- Unified adult use and medical regulations
How many medical marijuana operations are there currently in Maine?
According to Maine state records in 2014 there were 2,464 registered caregivers in Maine. There are 8 dispensaries.
What are dispensaries?
The eight dispensaries in Maine are state-licensed, geographically dispersed, and are held to rigorous standards for security, quality, and inventory control. Dispensaries can have unlimited patients and are subject to municipal zoning restrictions. Only qualified users and their caretakers are allowed into the dispensary. No one under the age of 18 is allowed into the dispensary. The only exception is underage patients during their first intake appointment with their guardians/parents.
What are caregivers?
There are nearly 3,000 caregivers in Maine. To qualify to be a caregiver a person must be 21 years old, not have a conviction for a “disqualifying drug offense,” and pay a fee to DHHS. There are no licensure requirements for caregivers. Caregivers are allowed to grow and sell marijuana to five patients. Caregivers may not form collectives and operate together as a business. Unlike dispensaries there are no limits on how many caregivers there can be in Maine. There are no regular inspection requirements for caregivers as there are for dispensaries, even when multiple caregivers are operating together.
Are home grows allowed?
In Maine, registered patients can elect not purchase marijuana from a caregiver or a dispensary and may, instead, cultivate marijuana for their personal medical use. Registered patients may have up to 6 flowering marijuana plants, 12 additional marijuana non-flowering marijuana plants, and unlimited seedlings.
Is adult use marijuana legal in Maine?
Currently, it illegal for anyone in Maine to possess, cultivate, or distribute marijuana for non-medical purposes, with the exception of the cities of Portland and South Portland, where it is, by city ordinance, legal for residents 21 years of age or older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Question 1 on the ballot in November would legalize cultivation, processing, and distribution of marijuana with a license from the state to persons over the age of 21 for non-medical purposes.
