Maine Cultivation License and Marijuana Laws
Maine allows both recreational and medical marijuana and regulations permit licensees to operate as both under certain permissions.
Marijuana Compliance in Maine
Typically, for example, a cultivation operation will be able to operate as both recreational and medical as long as the operations are generally separated and easily tracked.
In Maine, there are many marijuana licenses, including multiple cultivation tiers, multiple product manufacturing tiers, testing facilities, and dispensaries.
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Maine Marijuana Laws for Growers
Maine Cultivation licenses are segmented out by Tier level, and each Tier dictates how many plants a cultivator is legally allowed to have.
DHSS has set the number of licenses at 60 cultivation facilities, 192 dispensaries, 86 medical marijuana-infused manufacturing facilities and 10 testing laboratory facilities.
All complete applications received by the department submitted during the application period will be approved or denied within one hundred fifty (150) days of that application’s complete submission.
Clear tracking of the plants from planting to harvest and transfer must be adequately documented in a system of record and submitted to the state through METRC.
Maine Cultivation Laws
Maine Cultivation licenses are segmented out by Tier level, and each Tier dictates how many plants a cultivator is legally allowed to have.
Growers can apply from Tier 1 to Tier 4, and if they are strictly a medical grower, then typically, the operation is similar to a Tier 1.
The operations range by square footage:
Tier 1 can only have about 30 mature plants, or a canopy, up to 500 square feet and a Tier 4 can have up to 20,000 square feet.
The surface area is measured using the outside boundaries of the area considered “plant canopy.”
Tier 4 licenses can renew their licenses every two years, and they are allowed to apply for a 7000 square footage increase with every renewal.
How to Get a Maine Cultivation License
Someone looking to apply for a Maine cultivation license must also not be an owner or indirect stakeholder in three or more other cultivation licenses or a cultivation operation with over 30,000 square footage.
Maine’s commercial grow license application fees are $100, and the operation itself for a Tier 1 cost as low as $9 a plant as prescribed by the plant Tier 1 limit or $250 for the entire plant canopy.
Maine marijuana laws and regulations also charge separately for indoor versus outdoor operations where indoor operations tend to be a higher price ($17 a plant or $500).
When you apply to become a Maine cultivator, you should expect the application fees and plant canopy fees, and for them to increase with the Tier level, you apply for.
There are also cultivation excise taxes you will pay once your operation gets up and running. Excise taxes on cultivation are by the pound and plant part and are paid each month.
Maine Marijuana Growing Laws & Licenses
Tier 1 licenses are allowed up to 500 square feet for plant canopy or 30 mature plants. This is the lowest level of cultivation license and is suitable for medical and recreational growers. Applying for a Tier 1 license will range from outdoor to indoor pricing: $9-$17 a plant or $250-$500 and an initial $100 application fee.
Tier 2 licenses are allowed up to 2,000 square feet of plant canopy. Applying for a Tier 2 license will range from outdoor to indoor: $1500-$3000 and a $500 application fee.
Tier 3 licenses are allowed up to 7,000 square feet of plant canopy. Applying for a Tier 3 license will range from outdoor to indoor: $5000-$10000 and a $500 application fee.
Tier 4 licenses are allowed up to 20,000 square feet of plant canopy. Applying for a Tier 4 license will range from outdoor to indoor: $15,000-$30,000 and a $500 application fee.
Maine Cannabis Compliance
State Tracking System
All marijuana in Maine should be adequately tracked and recorded so that state regulators and auditors can easily understand it. Records are to be kept for five years in accordance with regulations.
All other marijuana tracking rules are subject to the state tracking system, Metrc. All inventory, transfers, and changes in marijuana products should be recorded and kept in the Metrc system to ensure the integrity of a marijuana business in Maine.
Third-Party Integration
365 Cannabis has an integrated solution to Metrc, which means that our ERP solution easily communicates and transfers data to Metrc, which makes your operations run smoother and quicker. Having a robust ERP such as 365 Cannabis will allow your business operations to be manageable all in one place
Schedule a demo to see what 365 Cannabis can do for your cannabis cultivation business.