Androscoggin County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Androscoggin County?

Cannabis cultivation for medical and adult use is legal in Androscoggin County. In 2010, the Medical Marijuana Act and its revisions in the State of Maine authorized the therapeutic usage of medical cannabis. The Marijuana Legalization Act of 2016 legalized the adult use of cannabis for persons aged 21 and over. Title 28-B: Adult-Use Cannabis was added to the Maine Revised Statutes (MRS) in 2018 and it provided municipalities the right to opt out of adult-use cannabis enterprises. Throughout the state, the Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) governs and permits medical and adult-use cannabis usage and businesses.

In Androscoggin County, only the following municipalities opted into adult-use cannabis cultivation businesses:

• Turner
• Poland
• Mechanic Falls
• Lisbon
• Lewiston
• Greene
• Auburn

The sole license given by the OCP for medical cannabis enterprises is the non-profit medical cannabis dispensary registration certificate. Medical cannabis crop cultivation, medical cannabis product manufacturing, and the retailing and delivery of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to certified patients and caregivers of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Program (MMCP) are authorized under this license.

The Dispensary Local Authorization Form must be filed as part of the application procedure. The sort of medical cannabis business activity that will be conducted in the area must have municipal permission. The municipal approval must also affirm that the planned facility is at least 500 feet away from a school, as stipulated by the updated Medical Marijuana Act.

MRS Title 22 Chapter 558-C §2423-A allows certified patients and caregivers in Androscoggin County to cultivate medical cannabis for their own use only. Only 12 immature and six mature medical cannabis plants may be grown by a patient. A caregiver who grows medical cannabis for a maximum of five patients may do it in any of the following ways:

• 30 mature and up to 60 immature cannabis plants, as well as an infinite number of seedlings, or
• A canopy of up to 1,000 square feet of immature cannabis plants and a canopy of up to 500 square feet of mature cannabis plants, with limitless seedlings

Only the certified patient or caregiver should have access to the personal medical cannabis growing space.

Adult-use cannabis growing facility license applications are accepted online by the OCP. Obtaining a conditional license, which is good for a year, obtaining municipal approval, and obtaining the active license, which is also good for a year, are the three steps in the application process.

Indoor and outdoor adult-use cannabis growing are both permitted under the [Adult-Use Cannabis Program Rule](https://www.maine.gov/dafs/ocp/sites/maine.gov.dafs.ocp/files/inline-files/18-691-CMR-Ch1 09-08-22.pdf). Indoor cultivation must be carried out in a safe, completely enclosed structure. Outdoor cultivation must be secured by a six-foot-high commercial-grade fence and a locked gate. Adult-use cannabis growing must be concealed from the general public. Sufficient illumination is required in a 10-foot radius surrounding every building entry.

MRS Title 28-B Chapter 3 permits the personal growing of adult-use cannabis by Androscoggin County residents over the age of 21. A municipality may not prohibit it or levy a fee for it.

An age-qualified person may cultivate up to 12 immature and three mature cannabis plants, as well as an infinite number of seedlings. The cultivation may take place in the house of the certified grower or on any other property that the grower owns. Before cultivation may begin on land that is not the property of the qualified grower, though, the property owner's permission must be obtained in writing.

Adult-use cannabis personal cultivation spaces must also be kept out of sight. People under 21 must not be able to access them. Each cannabis plant must be identified as being for personal use and have a tag with the qualified grower's name, a current ID number, and, if the property is not the grower's, the name of the property owner.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Androscoggin County?

Medical and adult-use cannabis product manufacturing is legal in Androscoggin County as authorized by the revised Medical Marijuana Act and the Marijuana Legalization Act of the State of Maine. Since MRS Title 28-B permits municipalities to opt out of adult-use cannabis establishments, though, only the same municipalities that opted into adult-use cannabis cultivation businesses also opted into adult-use cannabis manufacturing businesses in Androscoggin County.

Manufacturing medical cannabis products also requires the OCP's non-profit medical cannabis dispensary registration license, while to produce adult-use cannabis products, the OCP’s adult-use cannabis manufacturing facility license is needed.

Licensed makers of adult-use cannabis products must guarantee that the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level of each serving of edible cannabis products does not go above 10 milligrams. A pack of edible adult-use cannabis products may only include 10 servings.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Androscoggin County?

Medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis product retail is legal in Androscoggin County under the State of Maine’s amended Medical Marijuana Act and Marijuana Legalization Act. However, MRS Title 28-B enables municipalities to opt out of adult-use cannabis businesses. Hence, only the following municipalities opted into adult-use cannabis retail businesses in Androscoggin County:

• Turner
• Poland
• Mechanic Falls
• Lisbon
• Lewiston
• Auburn

Only certified patients and their caregivers are allowed to purchase medical cannabis and medical cannabis products from holders of the OCP medical cannabis dispensary registration certificate. Licensed dispensaries are also allowed to sell medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to visitors from other approved states who carry valid medical cannabis cards.

Medical cannabis dispensaries are authorized to sell to each certified patient or caregiver only 2.5 ounces of medical cannabis plant parts, flowers, and medical cannabis products, including edibles, every 15 days. They are also authorized to sell medical cannabis supplies and informational materials.

Only people aged at least 21 are allowed to purchase adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products from holders of the OCP adult-use cannabis retail store license. A medical cannabis dispensary and an adult-use cannabis retail store cannot occupy the same space.

To verify a purchaser's age and identity, licensed adult-use cannabis retail outlets must ask for a valid picture ID. These licensed cannabis shops are then allowed to sell cannabis seeds, immature cannabis plants, cannabis seedlings, and adult-use products like concentrates, tinctures, pills, topical applications, drinks, edible items, and others. Furthermore, businesses may sell cannabis paraphernalia, non-consumable cannabis-related things, and even consumable goods that do not contain cannabis.

The purchase limits for adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products at every transaction consist of:

• 2.5 ounces of cannabis, of which not more than 5 grams are of cannabis concentrate
• Unlimited cannabis seeds
• 12 immature cannabis plants or seedlings

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Androscoggin County?

Medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis product delivery is legal in Androscoggin County under the revised Medical Marijuana Act and Marijuana Legalization Act of the State of Maine. Municipalities that have chosen not to establish licensed adult-use cannabis retail outlets may not prohibit licensed adult-use cannabis delivery from other municipalities to people residing within their jurisdictions. However, delivery is only allowed to a residential address that is not located in a designated safe zone by the municipality.

Deliveries of cannabis, cannabis products, and cannabis paraphernalia for medical use to registered patients and their caregivers are permitted if done by holders of the OCP non-profit medical cannabis dispensary registration certificate. Deliveries of adult-use cannabis, cannabis products, and cannabis paraphernalia to persons aged 21 and over are permitted if done by holders of the OCP adult-use cannabis retail store license.

The purchase limits that apply to in-store purchases also apply to both medical and adult-use cannabis deliveries. Licensed cannabis retailers must require a valid photo ID to verify the buyer’s age and identity.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Androscoggin County

Patients who live in Androscoggin County may acquire a medical cannabis certification card upon getting a diagnosis for any of the following illnesses by an MMCP-registered health provider with a license from the Board of Licensure in Medicine, Board of Osteopathic Licensure, or Board of Nursing of the State of Maine:

• Alzheimer’s disease agitation
• Hepatitis C
• HIV
• A debilitating or chronic disease that causes intractable pain that is not responding to other treatments or surgery for more than six months
• Glaucoma
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• AIDS
• Cancer
• Nail-patella syndrome
• Crohn’s disease
• A debilitating or chronic disease or treatment that causes any of the following:
• cachexia
• severe nausea
• seizures
• severe and persistent muscle spasms
• Any illness that will be approved by the OCP

A caregiver who is the patient's parent or legal guardian is required for a patient under the age of 18. MRS Title 22 Chapter 558-C 2423-A exempts caregivers from MMCP registration if they live in the same home as the patient. Additionally, an adult patient who requires assistance may designate a caregiver. In this case, the caregiver must apply online for a registry identification card.

Any further queries may be sent to the Office of Cannabis Policy through the following channels:

162 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333

Phone: (207) 287-3282

Fax: (207) 287-2671

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Androscoggin County?

Each sale of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products in the State of Maine is subject to a 10% sales tax. Also, the following excise taxes are levied by the state on adult-use cannabis cultivators:

Even if the selling and purchasing cannabis businesses belong to the same owner, the taxes still apply.

Meanwhile, the State of Maine earned $28.75 million in 2022, according to the 2022 Annual Report of the Adult Use Cannabis Program. This consisted of the following:

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Androscoggin County

Medical cannabis was legalized in Androscoggin County in 2010, and adult-use cannabis was legalized in 2016.

Data sent by the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office to the Crime Explorer page of the FBI shows that in 2009, a year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 27 marijuana possession arrests and one marijuana sales arrest, totaling 28 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2011, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 15 marijuana possession arrests and five marijuana sales arrests, totaling 20 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2016, a year after the legalization of adult-use cannabis, there were nine marijuana possession arrests and three marijuana sales arrests, totaling 12 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2021, the latest data showed one marijuana possession arrest and no marijuana sales arrests.

The number of DUI arrests during those years was as follows:

• 2009: 88 arrests
• 2011: 52 arrests
• 2016: 34 arrests
• 2021: 81 arrests