Starting a cannabis company in Maine? We’ve put together a state-specific guide covering everything from available license types to fees, regulations, and what you should include in a Maine cannabis business plan. Jump to a section by clicking below, or go straight to our sample cannabis business plan.
Recreational and medical marijuana are both legal in Maine. Patients with a written recommendation from a doctor can possess up to 2.5 ounces of prepared cannabis. More than 65,000 patients have registered for medical marijuana use in the state, and 2021 sales of medical marijuana via Maine dispensaries could be as high as $120 million.
Recreational cannabis sales began in October 2020. The number of recreational customers in Maine is estimated at about 300,000, and sales are expected to top $65 million in 2021. Adults can possess up to 2.5 ounces for recreational use, as well as up to three mature marijuana plants per person.
Maine currently issues licenses for the following types of cannabis businesses: medical dispensaries, medical caregivers, adult-use cultivators, adult-use retailers, adult-use manufaturers, and testing labs. Medical dispensaries must grow their own cannabis, then sell it at a retail storefront. Only 14 medical dispensaries are allowed in the state, and seven licenses have already been granted. Caregivers can open a single retail store provided the municipality allows it. There is no cap on the number of statewide adult-use licenses, though localities can enact bans and restrictions.
There are plenty of other ways to be part of the booming cannabis industry as well. You can create a marijuana app, payment processing service, advertising agency, consulting firm, pest management product, accounting firm, automated plant watering system, security service, packaging labeling service, or legal firm--and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
In Maine, local governments can forbid cannabis companies or certain locations, so check city and county regulations.
Application fees: Applying for a medical dispensary license in Maine costs $12,000. There is no application fee to be a medical caregiver. Application fees for adult use dispensaries, manufactures, and testing labs are $250, while cultivation applications range from $60 to $500 depending on size.
Renewal fees: A medical dispensary license fee is $12,000, and a medical caregiver can total as high as $1,200 depending on the size of the operation. Adult-use retailers andmanufacturers license fees are $2,500 per year, while cultivation annual licenses can be as high as $30,000. Testing labs must pay an annual $1,000 license fees.
Strict regulations: Be prepared to follow Maine’s extensive regulations, including having a video security system and six-foot security fence, only seeing dispensary customers by appointment, obtaining a food establishment license in order to sell tinctures or edibles, and more. (Full rules here.) In addition, medical dispensaries must be run as not-for-profits.
A business plan is required to get a medical marijuana business license in Maine — see page 36 here. And if you plan on raising funding from investors, you definitely need a business plan.
Here’s what an Maine marijuana business plan should include:
Google your city or municipality name and “cannabis regulations” or “marijuana laws”. If your city or municipality’s website doesn’t have information about cannabis, check recent local news coverage or contact your city clerk, city manager, or town hall.
Confused or overwhelmed yet? That’s normal. With such a highly regulated industry, and one with different rules in every state, starting a cannabis company can be very complex. Get help with your cannabis business plan from Masterplans, the industry leaders. We’ve worked with hundreds of cannabis entrepreneurs like yourself to create investor-ready documents and presentations so you can not only meet regulations but get the funding you need. Click below for your free, confidential consultation: