On Nov. 8, 2016, Voter Question 1 passed 372,995 (50.15%) to 370,820 (49.85%) and marijuana became much more available in Maine beginning Jan. 1, 2018.
Citizen’s Initiative 1 read: Do you want to allow the possession and use of marijuana under state law by persons who are at least 21 years of age, and allow the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products subject to state regulation, taxation and local ordinance?
What does this mean for the citizens of Maine? First, marijuana will not necessarily be available for purchase everywhere. The ballet question gives each municipality the ability to regulate retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana social clubs. All towns will have the ability to decide whether to permit the sale or use of marijuana in their town limits. The new law also permits the registered voters of a municipality to call for a vote on any regulations adopted by a municipal legislative body.
Most of the towns in northern Maine voted against this initiative, so it is uncertain if these towns will permit the sale of marijuana. We will have to wait and see.
How will this affect the rules and policies at the University of Maine at Presque Isle? The quick answer is that it will not change the rules or policies on any of the state’s community colleges or universities.
The logical question to ask is why?
Federal criminal law and the federal Drug Free Schools and Workplaces Acts make possession or use of marijuana on campus illegal. When a federal law and a state law seek to regulate the same subject matter, the federal law always supersedes the state law. Colleges and universities that do not comply with the Drug Free Schools and Workplaces Acts risk the loss of federal contracts and participation in federal financial aid program. This would mean that students who have come to depend on federal financial aid would not be able to obtain it.
If you would like additional information on the full text of this initiative, please go to https://ballotpedia.org/Maine_Marijuana_Legalization,_Question_1_(2016)
