Maine’s Recreational Program Officially Begins. Why needing your medical card is more important than ever!

After voting in 2016 to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana to adults 21 years or older, Maine officially began selling in October! Although there has been a reported $1.4M in sales during the first month, many people are being left out of obtaining their medicine by purchasing recreationally. If you are buying cannabis from a dispensary and using it to treat a medical condition such as pain, anxiety, or insomnia, it is much more beneficial to purchase marijuana with a medical card in hand.

Why? A few reasons; price, access, medical support, and limitations – to name a few.

Price:

Medical cannabis prices are lower than recreational prices, and taxation is the name of the game. Maine recreational cannabis sales are subject to a 10% sales tax for products sold. Meaning your $100 purchase could be over $110. A Maine medical card is only $75 which will allow you to circumvent that extra cost!

Access:

Maine’s medical program still has the most accessible dispensaries in the state. With the 8 licensed dispensaries and 200 stores run by medical marijuana caregivers, you now have more options than ever to choose where your medicine comes from. While this may seem like a high number, many of these stores are for medical patients only. Recreational sales within an existing medical shop exist, but most of the stock must be reserved for those who use cannabis as a medication. Additionally, individuals over the age of 18 can be medical cannabis patients but must be 21+ to purchase recreationally.

Have you seen the lines outside the recreational dispensaries? Well, wait no more! Medical patients have their own lines to get into and purchase their medicine and are typically MUCH shorter than adults using cannabis recreationally!

Medical Support:

When you use any medication, your doctor is aware and is able to coordinate your care accordingly. Medical cannabis is no different. Our practitioners and team of medical assistants are here to help guide you on your cannabis journey to better health. All marijuana is different and finding the medication and ingestion methods (smoking, topicals, edibles…) is right for you and your condition. Using the resources available to you at Canna Care Docs will help you feel better!

Limits:

In Maine, the possession limit for flower for medical and recreational users are the same, at 2.5oz but regarding concentrates (edibles, tinctures, vape cartridges etc.) adult users can only possess 5 grams, while medical patients can have up to 2.5oz. If you are someone who uses oils, topicals, or edibles you will be unable to purchase more than 5 grams worth of product, so plan accordingly.

Patients can grow cannabis, legally allowing possession of:

• 6 mature plants
• 12 immature female plants
• Unlimited seedlings
• Up to 8lbs of dried marijuana

Adult Users can grow and possess as well, just with a smaller amount:

• Three mature plants
• 12 immature plants
• Unlimited seedlings
• 2.5 oz of dried marijuana and concentrate up to 5 grams

If you are treating a condition with cannabis, having your medical card is the best way to go to save money, have more products and, get the support you need!