An Act to Create a Sustainable Funding Source for Recovery Community Centers Using a Percentage of the Adult Use Cannabis Tax Revenue
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1714
Committee: Taxation
Sponsors: RANA, CHIPMAN, CROCKETT, FAULKINGHAM, HASENFUS, MATLACK, MILLIKEN, PERRY, ROEDER, POULIOT
Amends: 5 MRSA §20012, 36 MRSA §1818, 36 MRSA §4925

Legislative Document
No. 1714
H.P. 1103
House of Representatives, April 18, 2023
An Act to Create a Sustainable Funding Source for Recovery 
Community Centers Using a Percentage of the Adult Use Cannabis 
Tax Revenue
Reference to the Committee on Taxation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative RANA of Bangor.
Cosponsored by Senator CHIPMAN of Cumberland and
Representatives: CROCKETT of Portland, FAULKINGHAM of Winter Harbor, HASENFUS 
of Readfield, MATLACK of St. George, MILLIKEN of Blue Hill, PERRY of Bangor, 
ROEDER of Bangor, Senator: POULIOT of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §20012 is enacted to read:
§20012.  Recovery Community Centers Fund
The Recovery Community Centers Fund is established as a dedicated, nonlapsing fund 
within the Office of Behavioral Health for the purposes specified in this section.  The fund 
must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. Eligible 
investment earnings credited to the assets of the fund become part of the assets of the fund. 
Any unexpended balances remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year do not lapse 
and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. 
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Fund" means the Recovery Community Centers Fund established in this section.
B.  "Office" means the Office of Behavioral Health established in section 20011.
C.  "Recovery community center" means an independent, nonprofit organization led 
and governed by representatives of local recovery communities with a primary focus 
on recovery from substance use disorder that provides nonclinical, peer recovery 
support services such as recovery support groups, recovery coaching, telephone 
recovery support, skill-building groups, harm reduction activities, recovery-focused 
outreach programs to engage people seeking recovery or in recovery and recovery-
focused policy and advocacy activities.
2.  Sources of funds.  The State Controller shall credit to the fund:  
A. Money received from the excise tax imposed on the sale of adult use cannabis 
pursuant to Title 36, chapter 723 in the amount required under Title 36, section 4925; 
B. Money received from the sales tax imposed on the sale of adult use cannabis and 
adult use cannabis products by a cannabis establishment licensed to conduct retail sales 
pursuant to Title 36, section 1811 in the amount required under Title 36, section 1818; 
C. All money from any other source, whether public or private, designated for deposit 
into or credited to the fund; and 
D. Interest earned or other investment income on balances in the fund.
3.  Uses of fund.  Money credited to the fund pursuant to subsection 2 may be expended 
by the office to fund recovery community centers.
4.  Application of fund to office expenses prohibited.  Money in the fund may not be 
applied to any expenses incurred by the office in implementing, administering or enforcing 
this section.
Sec. 2.  36 MRSA §1818, as amended by PL 2021, c. 645, §5 and c. 669, §5, is 
further amended to read:
§1818.  Tax on adult use cannabis and adult use cannabis products
All sales tax revenue collected pursuant to section 1811 on the sale of adult use 
cannabis and adult use cannabis products must be deposited into the General Fund, except 
that, on or before the last day of each month, the State Controller shall transfer 12% of the 
that sales tax revenue received by the assessor during the preceding month pursuant to 
section 1811 to the Adult Use Cannabis Public Health and Safety and Municipal Opt-in 
Fund established under Title 28‑B, section 1101 and 12% of that sales tax revenue received 
by the assessor during the preceding month pursuant to section 1811 to the Recovery 
Community Centers Fund established in Title 5, section 20012.
Sec. 3.  36 MRSA §4925, as amended by PL 2021, c. 645, §6 and c. 669, §5, is 
further amended to read:
§4925.  Application of excise tax revenue
All excise tax revenue collected by the assessor pursuant to this chapter on the sale of 
adult use cannabis must be deposited into the General Fund, except that, on or before the 
last day of each month, the assessor shall transfer 12% of the excise tax revenue received 
during the preceding month pursuant to this chapter to the Adult Use Cannabis Public 
Health and Safety and Municipal Opt-in Fund established in Title 28‑B, section 1101 and 
12% of the excise tax revenue received during the preceding month pursuant to this chapter 
to the Recovery Community Centers Fund established in Title 5, section 20012.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Recovery Community Centers Fund within the Department of 
Health and Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health to fund recovery community 
centers.  The bill requires that 12% of the sales tax revenue received per month on the sale 
of adult use cannabis and adult use cannabis products and 12% of the excise tax revenue 
collected on the sale of adult use cannabis be credited to the fund. The bill also clarifies 
that 12% of the sales tax revenue collected on the sale of adult use cannabis and adult use 
cannabis products is credited to the Adult Use Cannabis Public Health and Safety and 
Municipal Opt-in Fund, not 12% of all sales tax revenue collected under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 36, section 1811.