Maine to Open Recreational Pot Market, as Region Stalls

Maine REC sales are set to begin in October, four years after voters' approval.

A Friday press release from the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services’ Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP) announced retail sales will start Oct. 9. The office plans to issue the first licenses on Sept. 8.

Maine joins Massachusetts in the New England REC market. Industry insiders expect the rest of the region to shift over the next couple of years, as ongoing legislative efforts in nearby states gather support—spurred partly by the need for additional tax revenue.