Maine officials have proposed regulations to launch a state medical cannabis research grant program designed to fund scientific studies examining marijuana’s effectiveness as a medical treatment and its potential health effects.
The Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services’ Office of Cannabis Policy filed the proposed rules with the Legislature last week, with the formal public notice published today. The proposal would establish Chapter 100, the Medical Cannabis Research Grant Program, and create the framework for distributing state funding to qualified researchers and institutions.
Under state law, the program is intended to support “objective scientific research,” including observational studies, clinical trials and analysis of existing research examining the efficacy of marijuana as part of medical treatment and the health effects associated with its medical use.
The proposed regulations would establish qualifications for researchers seeking grants and criteria for evaluating the scientific merit and objectivity of proposed studies. They would also set standards for determining grant amounts and research duration and establish procedures for recruiting study participants and obtaining informed consent.
The rules would additionally establish reporting requirements for completed research, including provisions governing public access to data and scientific publications resulting from state-funded projects. The Office of Cannabis Policy could recruit peer reviewers to help evaluate applications submitted through the state’s grant process.
Funding would come from Maine’s Medical Use of Cannabis Fund. The fund receives revenue from medical marijuana registration and application fees, penalties and fines, interest and other designated sources. State law specifically authorizes money from the fund to be used for medical cannabis research grants.
The research program has existed in state law for years but has not yet been implemented. Lawmakers originally established the program under Public Law 2017, Chapter 452, directing the state to create grants supporting research into medical marijuana.
Earlier this year, lawmakers set a January 8, 2027, deadline for the Office of Cannabis Policy to provisionally adopt the rules and submit them for legislative review. Because the regulations are classified as major substantive rules, they will require legislative approval before final implementation.
A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for October 13 at 10 a.m. at 109 Capitol Street in Augusta. Written public comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. on October 23.
State officials said they do not currently anticipate the proposal having a financial impact on municipalities or counties.
