MJ Biz is reporting …...Maine’s largest medical marijuana company is suing the city of Portland in federal court, claiming that an adult-use licensing preference for residents violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Wellness Connection of Maine, a vertically integrated operation with four MMJ dispensaries in the state, filed a similar legal challenge against the state. The state backed off, dropping a four-year residency requirement.
THE LAWSUIT
Wellness-Connection-lawsuitPortland recently passed an ordinance that caps marijuana retail stores at 20 and puts in place a competitive scoring system that gives bonus points to businesses that meet a five-year residency preference.Wellness Connection’s owner is High Street Capital Partners, which does business as Acreage Holdings, a New York-based multistate operator.
The Wellness Connection’s lawsuit against Portland, filed in U.S. District Court in Maine, argues that “more than 25% of the points available either are reserved for Maine residents or are awarded based on a consideration that strongly favors Maine residents.”
Read full story at
Acreage subsidiary challenges Maine city’s marijuana residency rule