Maine presses the debate about medical cannabis tests into the next legislative period

Despite the latest profits in public health, Maine will delay measures to commit mandatory contamination and effectiveness tests for his medical cannabis program – the discussions in 2026.

Medical cannabis in Maine remains not tested for mold, pesticides, heavy metals and potency – in contrast to leisure products that are kept mandatory test standards. The Maine Public Health Association (MPHA) as well as the Office of cannabis policy (OCP) and Maine CDC continue to press uniform safety protocols in both markets.

Two cross -party bills –LD 104sponsored by Rep. Marc Malon, and LD 1847Sponsored by Rep. Anne Graham search to introduce mandatory tests, seed tracking, potency capacity for medical food and the financing of public health using tax revenue for adults.⁽²⁾

In 2023, a state audit showed that almost 42–45% of medical cannabis samples contained contaminants that would not exist for adult consumption. This strong statement has strengthened the call for reform.⁽²⁾

While public health groups support legislation, many supervisors and small growth operations warn that they could paralyze their business. They emphasize the need for modified test protocols that are tailored to their scale and not the use of standards for adults. ⁽³⁾

The legislator conducted both invoices until the meeting in January 2026. The deputy director of MPHA, Matthew Wellington, said he hoped to use the meantime to bridge the goals of public health with industrial problems. Representatives of the care industry like Kristi Shaw recognized the openness to tests, but emphasized the practical compromise. ⁽¹⁾