An Act to Allow Consumption of Adult Use Cannabis in Locally
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1365
Sponsors: BOYER, BICKFORD
Amends: 22 MRSA §1542, 28-B MRSA §102-A, 28-B MRSA §103, 28-B MRSA §104-A, 28-B MRSA §401, 28-B MRSA §1501

Legislative Document
No. 1365
H.P. 888
House of Representatives, April 1, 2025
An Act to Allow Consumption of Adult Use Cannabis in Locally 
Approved Hospitality Lounges
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 28, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BOYER of Poland.
Cosponsored by Senator BICKFORD of Androscoggin and
Representatives: BABIN of Fort Fairfield, EDER of Waterboro, HYMES of Waldo, MINGO 
of Calais, MORRIS of Turner, SCHMERSAL-BURGESS of Mexico, WOOD of Greene, 
WOODSOME of Waterboro.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §1542, sub-§2, ¶O is enacted to read:
O.  Smoking of adult use cannabis or adult use cannabis products is not prohibited in a 
cannabis hospitality lounge locally licensed or approved pursuant to Title 28-B, section 
401, subsection 4.
Sec. 2.  28-B MRSA §102-A, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 679, Pt. B, §3, is 
amended to read:
10.  Cannabis establishment.  "Cannabis establishment" means a cultivation facility, 
a products manufacturing facility, a testing facility, a cannabis store or a sample collector 
licensed under this chapter. "Cannabis establishment" does not include a cannabis 
hospitality lounge.
Sec. 3.  28-B MRSA §102-A, sub-§12-A is enacted to read:
12-A.  Cannabis hospitality lounge.  "Cannabis hospitality lounge" means a location 
that is open to members of the public who are 21 years of age or older and is locally licensed 
or approved pursuant to section 401, subsection 4 where persons 21 years of age or older 
may consume adult use cannabis, adult use cannabis products and edible products that do 
not contain cannabis.
Sec. 4.  28-B MRSA §103, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2023, c. 6, §§13 to 15, is 
further amended to read:
1.  Unauthorized conduct.  Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, in the rules 
adopted pursuant to this chapter, in chapter 3 or in the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act 
or, as specifically authorized pursuant to a license issued under this chapter, or, in the case 
of a cannabis hospitality lounge, as specifically authorized pursuant to a local license or 
approval issued for that lounge pursuant to section 401, subsection 4, a person may not:
A.  Cultivate, manufacture or test cannabis or cannabis products;
B.  Sell or offer for sale cannabis or cannabis products;
C.  Use, possess, transport, transfer, furnish or purchase cannabis or cannabis products; 
or
D.  Sell, offer for sale or furnish any products containing tobacco, nicotine or synthetic 
nicotine to any person without first obtaining a retail tobacco license in accordance 
with Title 22, chapter 262‑A.
Sec. 5.  28-B MRSA §104-A, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 679, Pt. B, §5, is amended 
by enacting at the end a new paragraph to read:
Notwithstanding any provision of this Title to the contrary, the office may not impose 
any licensing or other requirements on the operation of a cannabis hospitality lounge locally 
licensed or approved pursuant to section 401, subsection 4 or initiate any investigative or 
enforcement action against the operator of such lounge based on a violation of a provision 
of this Title or the rules adopted pursuant to this Title.
Sec. 6.  28-B MRSA §401, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Local approval of cannabis hospitality lounges.  Notwithstanding any provision 
of this Title or other provision of law to the contrary, a municipality may adopt an ordinance 
providing licensing or other approval requirements applicable to cannabis hospitality 
lounges within the municipality, which may include, but are not limited to, provisions 
establishing a municipal licensing fee schedule pursuant to Title 30-A, section 3702.
A.  In the case of a town, plantation or township within the unorganized and 
deorganized areas, the legislative body of the town or plantation or, in the case of a 
township, the county commissioners of the county in which the township is located 
may provide for the licensing or other approval of cannabis hospitality lounges within 
the town, plantation or township.
B.  A cannabis hospitality lounge that receives a local license or approval in accordance 
with this subsection may operate as a cannabis hospitality lounge without the need for 
additional state licensing or approvals.
Sec. 7.  28-B MRSA §1501, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 409, Pt. A, §6 
and amended by PL 2021, c. 669, §5, is further amended to read:
A.  A person 21 years of age or older may consume cannabis or cannabis products only 
if that person is:
(1)  In a private residence, including curtilage; or
(2)  On private property, not generally accessible by the public, and the person is 
explicitly permitted to consume cannabis or cannabis products on the property by 
the owner of the property.; or
(3)  On the premises of a cannabis hospitality lounge locally licensed or approved 
pursuant to section 401, subsection 4.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the Cannabis Legalization Act to authorize a municipality or other 
local government entity within the unorganized and deorganized areas of the State to adopt 
an ordinance providing licensing or other approval requirements applicable to cannabis 
hospitality lounges within the municipality or unorganized and deorganized area.  The bill 
defines "cannabis hospitality lounge" as a location that is open to members of the public 
who are 21 years of age or older and is licensed or approved by a municipality or other 
local government entity within the unorganized and deorganized areas of the State where 
persons 21 years of age or older may consume adult use cannabis, adult use cannabis 
products and edible products that do not contain cannabis.  A cannabis hospitality lounge 
is not a cannabis establishment, may operate as a cannabis hospitality lounge without the 
need for additional state licensing or approvals and is not subject to the oversight of the 
Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Office of Cannabis Policy.  The bill 
also amends the law prohibiting smoking in public places to allow the smoking of adult use 
cannabis or adult use cannabis products at a locally licensed or approved cannabis 
hospitality lounge.