The vast majority of people now incarcerated are victims of the futile and harmful war on drugs and don't belong there anyway. Each one of these people costs more to feed and house each year than the tuition to Harvard. Still, you can't outlaw cigarettes without creating another illicit drug market. It's an insoluble problem. Actually, the state would be better off promoting them with heavy-handed ads.
Maine gets a lot more back from the feds than it pays in.
If other states don't like that, then Governor King can use the proposal as leverage to get their governors to agree to restrictions on corporate charters, as above. It would also solve the problem of the two Maines, by guaranteeing a profitable cash crop in the County and Downeast. The leaves and stems could be utilized as an inexpensive source of fiber for paper, rope and clothing, while legalization would obviate the disingenuous distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana. Always happy to be of service, Governor.