Maine’s medical marijuana industry climbed to new heights in 2014, accounting for an estimated $60 million to $75 million in sales and generating as much as $4 million to $5 million in tax revenue for the state.

The legal marijuana industry still represents a small piece of the state’s overall revenue, but state tax collection numbers show a rapid growth in sales as more patients turned to dispensaries or caregivers to buy their medicine during the past four years.

The numbers also highlight the success of a trade that once was limited to an untaxed and unregulated black market.

March 2, 2015

Dispensaries in Maine sold an estimated $16.2 million worth of medical cannabis last year, while the state collected around $900,000 in taxes on those transactions, according to the latest figures.

The tax haul was about 40% more than 2013, according to the Portland Press Herald, meaning sales rose by a similar amount.

AUGUSTA — Farmers, organic growers, agricultural researchers and community members have thrown their support behind a bill moving through the Legislature to legalize hemp cultivation in Maine for industrial uses.

“Maine has an opportunity to break into an emerging industry that will be of tremendous benefit to our state,” Rep. Deborah Sanderson, R-Chelsea, who introduced the measure, said recently. “Not only would it open new opportunities for farmers, it would also provide local sourcing for many products made from hemp. The fibers from hemp can be used in textiles, paper, insulation, building materials and composites for auto bodies.”

February 10, 2015

An organization pushing recreational legalization in Maine has a new focus: Help out small business.

Legalize Maine filed initiative language with the secretary of state, and is touting its effort as the first “homegrown initiative,” according to the Portland Press Herald.

Much of the ballot measure language is standard – those 21 and older could possess up to 2.5 ounces at a time, and sales would be taxed at a 10% rate.