HOULTON, Maine – The owner of a Houlton medical marijuana dispensary asked the town council to consider changing the wording of a town ordinance to assure medical marijuana dispensaries could continue operating.
Zach Waite, owner of Lifted Medical Marijuana in Houlton, shared with the council that a recent rule change in the Office of Cannabis Policy definition regarding medical marijuana caregiver sales will affect how Houlton dispensaries serve their patients.
The updated ruling will require caregivers to provide the Office of Cannabis Policy with a local municipality authorization form to serve patients in caregiver retail stories or their offices, he said.
“This is a substantial change in policy in the way we can serve our patients and will make it impossible to provide our patients with much needed medicine without your approval,” Waite explained.
According to Waite, collectively Houlton medical marijuana caregivers provide for 90,000 annual patient visits.
“We see cancer patients looking to relieve pain, recovering addicts, people with PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain eating disorders and the list goes on,” he said, adding that many are on fixed incomes and medical cannabis gives them an economical alternative to pharmaceuticals.
Without local authorization, patients in the Houlton community will be denied access, Waite said.
The local dispensaries are seeking an amendment to a town ordinance by adding, caregiver retail store, to the medical marijuana dispensary ordinance.
“This will allow caregivers to continue serving patients in compliance with the state and local municipality,” he said. “We need your help.”
Maine legalized recreational marijuana in 2016. But Houlton residents voted to not allow the sale of recreational marijuana in town the following year.
During a public comment session one resident referred to that vote.
“We the people of Houlton voted against marijuana in a referendum,” he said. “To change an article now should require a vote.”
Others shared impassioned personal stories about the value of medical marijuana and how it helps with several medical conditions.
“My son passed away from a methamphetamine and fentanyl overdose in this town a year ago and to tie medical marijuana to something like that is unfair,” said Steven Cole. “The stigma around medical marijuana is old and outdated. What you are doing by shutting down medical marijuana, you are actually empowering the illegal drug dealers that killed my son.”
Councilor Eileen McLaughlin said the town already voted against retail stores and the new language to the ordinance would violate the town vote.
McLaughlin also said that people using cannabis recreationally are getting it through licensed dispensaries.
“You have to get a doctor to write a prescription,” Waite said. “The state has determined who is allowed to get medical marijuana based on their condition.”
McLaughlin said some of those doctors administering the cards are not experts in the conditions related to the dispensing of the medical marijuana cards.
“The state is looking for the town to approve us to have a location to meet with our patients,” he said.
Other councilors spoke to the value of medical marijuana use.
“We have free will in this country and if people want to buy from you I think that is their right as citizens,” said Councilor Jane Torres. “I think we need to readdress the ordinance.”
The town will decide on this issue at a later date.
