Msnmarijuanasup State Updates 3
Keywords: Child Resistant Packaging, CBD Packaging, THC Packaging, State Compliant Packaging
Marijuana Regulatory Roundup: Updates from Connecticut, Maine, and Maryland
In this latest round of new and updated laws hitting the United States, we’re going to journey into the great Northeast and take a look at some of the older territories of America. All three of our states – Connecticut, Maine, and Maryland – have seen significant changes over the past few years due to a high population of farmers, business innovators, and democratic-leaning voters.
As always, our team at MSN Packaging Inc. wants to ensure you get the latest and best information related to state-compliant packaging for any cannabis-related products. With so many changes hitting our nation almost monthly, you can rely on us to ensure your products are properly packaged so your marketing and your child-resistant needs are met. Let’s dive into the three states in this roundup.
Connecticut
Even though Connecticut only voted toward Democratic candidates around nine times since 1876, all the modern era (1992 and further) elections have gone to the left by double-digit margins. This is a high-education, high-income state with many well-known institutions, sports teams, and entertainment sectors that residents enjoy.
It wasn’t a massive surprise that the state legalized recreational marijuana in July of 2021. What is more surprising is that it took so long. There is a long list of rights and allowed uses related to cannabis and THC packaging in CT. For example, adults over 21 are able to possess up to 1.5 ounces on their person and 5 ounces in a locked container in the home or similarly locked trunk/glove compartment in a vehicle.
You are also allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants, but that won’t begin until July 2, 2023, and they have to be grown indoors. You can expect the grow light industry to explode overnight in this state once that becomes standard practice.
Most importantly, Connecticut is dissolving any prior sentences or charges related to marijuana possession. As of July 1, 2022, simple possession charges of 4 ounces or less before January 1, 2000, can be erased if the convicted person petitions the courts. Anyone from January 1, 2000, to September 30, 2015, will have them automatically erased.
In the first seven hours of legal sales in January of 2023, the existing medical marijuana and recreational establishments across the state generated $250,000 in revenue. That is a wildly successful business endeavor, and the future is bright, with an additional 40 dispensaries already signed up to open over the next two years.
Maine
Visiting Maine conjures images of lobster sales, clam bakes, and endless antiquing along coastal highways. This is a laid-back state where people keep to themselves politically but are quick to offer a helping hand to neighbors in need, regardless of belief, ethos, philosophy, or any other separating factor.
What is interesting now is when the tourists fill the streets of picturesque Maine towns, they are greeted by a long line of dispensaries. The first rule is you must be over the age of 21 to possess or use non-medical marijuana. The second rule is you cannot use it in public, although that doesn’t really stop anyone. Don’t be surprised to visit the beautiful lakes area and see a group of young adults enjoying a vape or passing a blunt.
For the most part, you can use as much as you want as long as you are on your own property. Any adult can possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana (one of the larger quantities), including 5 grams of marijuana concentrate.
The best thing for any future business owner is you can grow up to three mature and a whopping twelve immature plants, plus unlimited seedlings, per legal restraints. That doesn’t apply to cultivating cannabis for any qualifying patient or caregiver.
In all cases, you do have to keep everything out of the sight of children. While Maine is fantastic at allowing marijuana products as of 2016, they are extremely strict when it comes to exposing underage minors. So if you want to open a business or keep your own personal stash, we highly recommend you check out our state-compliant packaging to avoid any issues.
Maryland
Maryland is extremely close to the US capital, but has been slow in allowing cannabis products. Governor Wes Moore only sighed the current legislation that regulates adult-use cannabis commerce in 2023. The current measure, Senate Bill 516, ensures the future rollout of recreational marijuana that balance taxation and future social equity.
Under this new law, adults will be allowed to purchase cannabis products from a legal dispensary as long as they are 21 years or older. This all kicks off on July 1, 2023, but you can get medical marijuana before that. Possession will equal up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis and the cultivation of up to two plants.
This was an omnibus initiative with parallel laws. The goal was to ensure an illegal search and seizure couldn’t be conducted from the smell of cannabis alone. It also reduced the initial fine for public smoke from $250 to $50, a clear sign they are leaning toward decriminalization in the long run.
This is all brand new to the state, so there has been a lot of movement from local business owners to align their products, CBD packaging, and initiatives with state law. For example, dispensaries cannot be within 500 feet of schools or daycares and must also be at least 1,000 feet from one another.
Packaging Requirements of These States
In each one of these Northeaster states, recreational marijuana is going to be fully legal either now or relatively soon. That will make a significant impact on child-resistant and state-compliant packaging. If you are starting a business in Connecticut, Maine, or Maryland, you will need to prepare for strict measures that ensure your full compliance.
That being said, if you can get in now, you stand to make a significant profit because of the popularity of the products as well as the massive public support for such initiatives. In 2020 alone, Maine earned over $266 million in revenue from cannabis-related sales. That is an enormous boom for a state that has a long history of losing funds to youth moving away toward more prominent cities.
If you want to stay on top of the latest developments concerning state laws, new legislation, news, and state-compliant packaging, be sure to follow our page linking every state’s updates. This is an exciting time to live in, where innovation and research are unlocking all kinds of fascinating possibilities concerning medical, recreational, and other growth opportunities in the cannabis industry.
At MSN Packaging Inc., we proudly offer state-compliant packaging services and products to all our clients across the United States and beyond. We look forward to having the solutions you need for upcoming law changes and running your dispensary, cultivation business, or retail establishment so you can profit without worrying about state-compliant packaging regulations. So give us a call or schedule a consultation so we can get the best-fit packaging for your business!