Maine’s Home Marijuana Cultivation Law Is Causing Controversy

Some Scarborough residents aren’t happy with the way the regulations for growing marijuana are taking shape in Maine. A developer says he’s concerned about a marijuana grower at an adjacent property to his development. Joe Frustaci started construction of a housing subdivision in 2014 and is concerned about the impact that marijuana growing nearby will have on his project.

Maine law allows home grows of up to 6 mature (flowering) marijuana plants, WSCH 6 News reports. New resident to the subdivision, Courtney and Steve Reeves, aren’t pleased that “neighbors” are growing marijuana near them. The neighbor also has two other adults living in the home, so they’re concerned with the 18 plants that will be growing.

Frustaci said, “I’m upset, I’m disturbed and I’m concerned for my buyers. Is this something we should disclose to our buyers?”

Homeowner Steve Reeves said, “We had no idea and then we come to find out this is a problem that we now have to live with for who knows how long.”

Courtney Reeves said, “We left my daughter’s bedroom window open one day and came in and our whole house reeked of marijuana.”

The legislature is working on issues like this at the present time.

Senator Roger Katz said, “All those kinds of issues weren’t really specifically in the referendum question.”

Senator Katz commented that issues regarding specific neighborhoods or communities in terms of marijuana would have to be addressed locally. He said, “I think there’s an inclination to leave a lot of these decisions to local boards of selectmen and city councils, but no decisions yet.”

The state rules and regulations have not been set in stone yet, so a decision regarding who can grow and where you can grow aren’t set yet. The legislative committee has work to do before local communities are likely to take on issues within their communities.