Maine Sees Huge Increase in Marijuana Patients and Growers

In the last five years, Maine’s medical marijuana program has grown significantly. Last year alone there was a 42-percent increase in the amount of marijuana growers, and those that were existing caregivers have taken on thousands of new patients.

In 2016, nearly 1,000 new caregivers were added to the state’s medical marijuana program, according to Portland Press Herald.  Industry experts believe the sudden increase in medical marijuana caregivers and growers is the passage of recreational marijuana. Data also shows that Maine residents are preferring to treat chronic pain and other health conditions with marijuana rather than pharmaceuticals.

Paul McCarrier, a medical marijuana caregiver and author of the recreational marijuana law, said, “It shows cannabis is a blooming small business in this state. I think a lot of people realize this can be a great opportunity to help people and provide care to them through cannabis. I think there are also people who want to get into the adult-use industry and the only way for them to get legal experience is through the medical marijuana program.”

Adjustments to Maine’s medical marijuana program came in 2009 as caregivers were allowed to grow for up to 5 patients, not just a family member. In 2011, there were only 211 registered caregivers. In December 2016, data shows that there were 3,244 registered caregivers. Caregivers pay $240 annually per caregiver card. A card must be obtained for every patient. If and when a caregiver loses a patient, they must replace that patient with another within 10 days.

In 2016, the State of Maine issued 51,324 medical marijuana cards. Caregivers are important to Maine’s medical marijuana patients as some require specific strains and they can work with a caregiver to have those specific strains produced.