As a task force wraps up work in Augusta, three missing pieces of information call into question whether Maine is ready to move forward on a system to distribute medical marijuana.

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First, we do not know how many people would qualify for, or even desire, medical marijuana.

• Second, we have no idea how many physicians will be willing to write prescriptions for a controlled substance whose benefits are more anecdotal than scientific and that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

• Third, we have no idea how many dispensaries the state can support — which is the most critical question of all.

From Brewer to Auburn to South Portland, various communities are already moving to place moratoriums on the construction of medical marijuana dispensaries, and with good reason.

They fear, fairly or not, the sort of public backlash that greeted the placement of methadone clinics across the state a decade ago. Then, towns large and small, found themselves hustling to respond to clinic proposals that sprang up around the state.

While 60 percent of the state’s voters approved a medical marijuana referendum question on the ballot last November, we wonder how many of those people would greet the opening of a marijuana dispensary in their neighborhood with open arms.

Then there’s the simple question of economics. Somebody, or some group, will have to pony up $5,000 for a dispensary license. Plus, they would have to invest in a secure place to grow the marijuana and open a building to house their dispensary.

From a business standpoint, who would invest that kind of money without knowing how many customers the venture might attract? While these dispensaries are by law required to be nonprofit, they must still cover their expenses.

If a dispensary has only 20 clients, how much will it have to charge to cover its overhead? Will another dispensary with 200 clients be able to charge less and attract customers from the weaker dispensary? 

How many insurance company drug plans will be willing to cover marijuana? If some do not, how much might an ounce of marijuana cost to produce and supply? Will those patients be able to afford it?

While 5,000 Mainers may seek medical marijuana, we question how many physicians would risk writing prescriptions knowing that the scientific support for its benefits is so spotty.

A New York Times article Jan. 19 describes how little research demonstrates that medical marijuana provides any benefits over existing drugs. That’s partly because the federal government has discouraged such study and made research on marijuana nearly unobtainable.

What’s more, the Food and Drug Administration has already approved a prescription drug, Marinol, that contains marijuana’s active ingredient. Certainly, physicians would want patients to try a variety of tested and FDA-approved medications, including Marinol, before handing out a prescription for medical marijuana.

While the public does favor making medical marijuana available to people who can truly benefit from its use, we are sure Maine voters also want a distribution system that is efficient and sustainable.

At this point, the Legislature must put a hold on the marijuana dispensary plan, and do more research before it can intelligently provide that system.

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