An Act to Establish the Cannabis Advisory Council
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1669
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: HICKMAN, BOYER
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-I, 28-B MRSA §115, 22 MRSA §2430, 28-B MRSA §1102

Legislative Document
No. 1669
S.P. 664
In Senate, April 17, 2025
An Act to Establish the Cannabis Advisory Council
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec.
Cosponsored by Representative BOYER of Poland and
Senators: DUSON of Cumberland, GROHOSKI of Hancock, TIMBERLAKE of 
Androscoggin, TIPPING of Penobscot, Representatives: CHAPMAN of Auburn, 
FREDERICKS of Sanford, GUERRETTE of Caribou, SUPICA of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§2-J is enacted to read:
2-J.   
Cannabis 
Cannabis Advisory Council 
Expenses Only 
 28-B MRSA 
§115
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §2430, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2021, c. 181, Pt. A, §2, is 
further amended to read:
3.  Uses of the fund.  The fund may be used for expenses of the department to 
administer this chapter, for reimbursement for expenses of the Cannabis Advisory Council 
established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 2-J or for research in accordance with 
subsection 5, as allocated by the Legislature.
Sec. 3.  28-B MRSA §115 is enacted to read:
§115.  Cannabis Advisory Council
1. Appointment; composition. The Cannabis Advisory Council, referred to in this 
section as "the council" and established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 2-J, consists 
of 10 members who are appointed as follows:
A. Three members who are registrants under the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act, 
of which at least one member is a registered caregiver, appointed by the President of 
the Senate. In making the appointments under this paragraph, the President of the 
Senate shall consider up to 6 recommendations from associations representing the 
interests of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act;
B. One public member who is a qualifying patient under the Maine Medical Use of 
Cannabis Act with knowledge of and interest in the medical use of cannabis, appointed 
by the President of the Senate;
C. Three members who are licensees under the Cannabis Legalization Act, of which at 
least one member has a cultivation facility license, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House. In making the appointments under this paragraph, the Speaker of the House 
shall consider up to 6 recommendations from associations representing the interests of 
the adult use cannabis industry;
D. One public member with knowledge of and interest in adult use cannabis, appointed 
by the Speaker of the House;
E. One member who is a municipal official in a municipality that has ordinances 
allowing for all registration types under the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act and 
all license types under the Cannabis Legalization Act, appointed by the director; and
F. One member who has a demonstrated knowledge of cannabis science and research 
and, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree, appointed by the director. The director shall 
make a reasonable effort to appoint a member who has at least 5 years of relevant 
experience. 
To the extent practicable, the membership of the council must reflect a geographic 
distribution across the State. 
2. Purpose. The council shall make recommendations to the director and the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over cannabis matters 
concerning: 
A. How best to work with state agencies, municipal governments, the medical use 
cannabis industry and adult use cannabis industry and citizen groups to make 
improvements to and maintain the quality of the State's medical use cannabis industry 
and adult use cannabis industry; and 
B. Matters of interest to the State's medical use cannabis industry and adult use 
cannabis industry, including, but not limited to, changes to the tracking system 
contract, public health protection and federal legalization. 
The council is responsible for bringing forward to the director and the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over cannabis matters issues of concern 
to the medical use cannabis industry and adult use cannabis industry and for assisting in 
the dissemination of information to members of the medical use cannabis industry and adult 
use cannabis industry.
3. Terms. The term of a member appointed to the council is 3 years, except that a 
vacancy during an unexpired term must be filled in the same manner as for the original 
member for the unexpired portion of the member's term. A member may not serve more 
than 2 consecutive terms. 
4. Chair and vice-chair. The council shall elect a member of the council as chair and 
a member as vice-chair at the first regular meeting of each year. The term of the chair and 
vice-chair is one year.
5. Meeting. The council shall meet at least once a year. It may also meet at other times 
at the call of the chair or the director. In advance of a meeting with an organization holding 
the contract for the tracking system for cannabis with the State, the council shall meet to 
discuss matters of interest to the medical use cannabis industry and adult use cannabis 
industry, the department and the organization holding the contract for the tracking system 
for cannabis and to make recommendations to the director and the joint standing committee 
of the Legislature having jurisdiction over cannabis matters as necessary.
6. Compensation. Council members are entitled to reimbursement for expenses in 
accordance with Title 5, chapter 379, which is paid in equal proportions from the Adult 
Use Cannabis Regulatory Coordination Fund established in section 1102 and the Medical 
Use of Cannabis Fund established in Title 22, section 2430.
Sec. 4.  28-B MRSA §1102, as amended by PL 2023, c. 679, Pt. B, §141, is further 
amended to read:
§1102.  Adult Use Cannabis Regulatory Coordination Fund
The Adult Use Cannabis Regulatory Coordination Fund, referred to in this section as 
"the fund," is established as a dedicated, nonlapsing Other Special Revenue Funds account 
in the office.  The fund is administered and used by the director for the purposes of adopting 
rules under this chapter and, for the purposes of implementing, administering and enforcing 
this chapter and for the purpose of paying the reimbursement for expenses of the Cannabis 
Advisory Council established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 2-J.  The director may 
expend money in the fund to enter into contracts with consultants and employ staff, as 
determined necessary by the director, conduct meetings with stakeholders and conduct any 
other activities related to the implementation, administration and enforcement of this 
chapter.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Cannabis Advisory Council to make recommendations to the 
Director of the Office of Cannabis Policy within the Department of Administrative and 
Financial Services and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over cannabis matters concerning how best to work with state agencies, municipal 
governments, the medical use cannabis industry and adult use cannabis industry and citizen 
groups to make improvements to and maintain the quality of the State's medical use 
cannabis industry and adult use cannabis industry concerning matters of interest to the 
State's medical use cannabis industry and adult use cannabis industry, including, but not 
limited to, changes to the tracking system contract, public health protection and federal 
legalization. The council is responsible for bringing forward to the director and the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over cannabis matters issues of 
concern to the medical use cannabis industry and adult use cannabis industry and for 
assisting in the dissemination of information to members of the medical use cannabis 
industry and adult use cannabis industry.