22 ME Rev Stat § 2430-C (2021)
2021 Maine Revised Statutes|TITLE 22: HEALTH AND WELFARE|Subtitle 2: HEALTH|Part 5: FOODS AND DRUGS|Chapter 558-C: MAINE MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA ACT|22 §2430-C. Protections for authorized activity

 §2430-C. Protections for authorized activity 1.  Rights of persons or entities acting pursuant to this chapter.  A person whose conduct is authorized under this chapter may not be denied any right or privilege or be subjected to arrest, prosecution, penalty or disciplinary action, including but not limited to a civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business or occupational or professional licensing board or bureau, for lawfully engaging in conduct involving the medical use of marijuana authorized under this chapter.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 2.  Legal protection for hospitals and long-term care facilities.  The immunity provisions in this subsection apply to a hospital licensed under chapter 405 and an officer or director, employee or agent of the hospital and a long-term care facility and an officer or director, employee or agent of the long-term care facility. Any immunity provision in this chapter in conflict with this subsection does not apply to a hospital or long-term care facility. The legal protection for hospitals and long-term care facilities applies in accordance with the following.   A. If the use of a form of harvested marijuana that is not smoked, including but not limited to edible marijuana products and tinctures and salves of marijuana, by an admitted patient who has been certified under section 2423-B occurs in a hospital, that hospital is not subject to prosecution, search, seizure or penalty in any manner, including but not limited to a civil penalty or disciplinary action by an occupational or professional licensing board or entity, and may not be denied any license, registration, right or privilege solely because the admitted patient lawfully engages in conduct involving the medical use of marijuana authorized under this chapter.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).]B. If the use of a form of harvested marijuana consistent with a long-term facility's policy by an admitted patient who has been certified under section 2423-B occurs in the long-term care facility, that long-term care facility is not subject to prosecution, search, seizure or penalty in any manner, including but not limited to a civil penalty or disciplinary action by an occupational or professional licensing board or entity, and may not be denied any license, registration, right or privilege solely because the admitted patient lawfully engages in conduct involving the medical use of marijuana authorized under this chapter.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).]C. An officer or director, employee or agent of a hospital or long-term care facility where the use of a form of harvested marijuana that is not smoked or vaporized, including but not limited to edible marijuana products and tinctures and salves of marijuana, by an admitted patient who has been certified under section 2423-B occurs is not subject to arrest, prosecution, search, seizure or penalty in any manner, including but not limited to a civil penalty or disciplinary action by an occupational or professional licensing board or entity, and may not be denied any license, registration, right or privilege solely because the admitted patient lawfully engages in conduct involving the medical use of marijuana authorized under this chapter.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).][PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 3.  School, employer or landlord may not discriminate.  A school, employer or landlord may not refuse to enroll or employ or lease to or otherwise penalize a person solely for that person's status as a qualifying patient or a caregiver unless failing to do so would put the school, employer or landlord in violation of federal law or cause it to lose a federal contract or funding. This subsection does not prohibit a restriction on the administration or cultivation of marijuana on premises when that administration or cultivation would be inconsistent with the general use of the premises. A landlord or business owner may prohibit the smoking of marijuana for medical purposes on the premises of the landlord or business if the landlord or business owner prohibits all smoking on the premises and posts notice to that effect on the premises.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 4.  Person may not be denied parental rights and responsibilities or contact with a minor child.  A person may not be denied parental rights and responsibilities with respect to or contact with a minor child as a result of acting in accordance with this chapter, unless the person's conduct is contrary to the best interests of the minor child as set out in Title 19‑A, section 1653, subsection 3.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 5.  Receiving an anatomical gift.  In reviewing a qualifying patient's suitability for receiving an anatomical gift, a transplant evaluator shall treat the qualifying patient's medical use of marijuana as the equivalent of the authorized use of any other medications used at the direction of a medical provider. A transplant evaluator may determine a qualifying patient to be unsuitable to receive an anatomical gift if the qualifying patient does not limit the qualifying patient's medical use of marijuana to the use of forms of harvested marijuana that are not smoked or vaporized, including but not limited to edible marijuana and tinctures and salves of marijuana. A transplant evaluator may require medical marijuana used by a qualifying patient to be tested for fungal contamination by a marijuana testing facility. For purposes of this subsection, "transplant evaluator" means a person responsible for determining another person's suitability for receiving an anatomical gift. For the purposes of this subsection, "anatomical gift" has the same meaning as in section 2942, subsection 2.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 6.  Prohibition on seizure and retention.  Except when necessary for an ongoing criminal or civil investigation, a law enforcement officer may not seize marijuana that is in the possession of a qualifying patient, caregiver, marijuana testing facility, manufacturing facility or registered dispensary as authorized by this chapter. A law enforcement officer in possession of marijuana in violation of this subsection shall return the marijuana within 7 days after receiving a written request for return by the owner of the marijuana. Notwithstanding the provisions of Title 14, chapter 741, if the law enforcement officer fails to return marijuana possessed in violation of this subsection within 7 days of receiving a written request for return of the marijuana under this subsection, the owner of the marijuana may file a claim in the District Court in the district where the owner lives or where the law enforcement officer is employed.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 7.  Requirements for protection.  To receive protection under this section for conduct authorized under this chapter, a person must:   A. If the person is a qualifying patient or visiting qualifying patient, present upon request of a law enforcement officer the original written certification for the patient and the patient's government-issued identification that includes a photo and proof of address; or   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).]B. If the person is a caregiver, present upon request of a law enforcement officer the original written document designating the person as a caregiver by the qualifying patient under section 2423‑A, subsection 1, paragraph F‑1 and the caregiver's government-issued identification that includes a photo and proof of address.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).][PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 8.  Evidence of lawful conduct.  A person who has been issued a registry identification card pursuant to section 2425-A must also possess a valid government-issued identification that includes a photo and proof of address in order to establish proof of authorized participation in the medical use of marijuana under this chapter. Possession of a registry identification card by a cardholder, the act of applying for such a registry identification card, possession of a written certification issued under section 2423-B or possession of a designation document executed under section 2423‑A, subsection 1, paragraph F‑1 is not evidence of unlawful conduct and may not be used to support the search of that person or that person's property. The possession of or application for a registry identification card or possession of a written certification does not prevent the issuance of a warrant if probable cause exists on other grounds.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] 9.  Immunity.  The immunity provisions in this subsection apply to caregivers, marijuana testing facilities, manufacturing facilities and dispensaries and the officers or directors or assistants of caregivers, marijuana testing facilities, manufacturing facilities and dispensaries.   A. A caregiver, marijuana testing facility, manufacturing facility or dispensary is not subject to prosecution, search, seizure or penalty in any manner, including but not limited to a civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business or an occupational or professional licensing board or entity, and may not be denied any right or privilege solely for acting in accordance with this section to assist with the medical use of marijuana in accordance with this chapter.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).]B. An officer or director or assistant of a caregiver, marijuana testing facility, manufacturing facility or dispensary is not subject to arrest, prosecution, search, seizure or penalty in any manner, including but not limited to a civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business or an occupational or professional licensing board or entity, and may not be denied any right or privilege solely for working for or with a caregiver, marijuana testing facility, manufacturing facility or dispensary to provide marijuana plants and marijuana products to qualifying patients, caregivers, dispensaries, manufacturing facilities or marijuana testing facilities or to otherwise assist with the medical use of marijuana in accordance with this chapter.   [PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).][PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).] SECTION HISTORY PL 2017, c. 452, §24 (NEW).