Marijuana has been legal statewide in Maine as of 12:01 a.m. At least one end-of-prohibition party is set for tonight in Portland.

But don’t go reefer mad all at once. Maine is now in limbo with its voter-approved law, especially after a moratorium signed Friday by Gov. Paul LePage to delay provisions of the law until February 2018.

In short, possessing and growing marijuana for recreational purposes is now legal, while buying or selling it is not legal yet. The state has until next year to develop rules for regulating new retail stores. Medical marijuana policy hasn’t changed.

Here are some finer points on personal use.

You can:

• Use, possess, transport and transfer 2.5 ounces of marijuana: This includes prepared marijuana and marijuana concentrate, but you can’t have more than five grams of concentrate. You’re also allowed to give someone that much marijuana, but only for nothing of value in return.
• Use it in your home, on your lawn and other private property: The law allows consumption in a private residence, plus “curtilage,” and on private property “not generally accessible by the public” with authorization from the owner.
• Grow up to six mature plants: Along with those, you can have up to 12 immature plans and unlimited seedlings.

You can’t:

• Use marijuana in public. Just take it inside, people.
• Or in a vehicle on a public way: This goes for drivers and passengers and applies to concentrates. Be advised that operation under the influence of marijuana is still illegal and dangerous, although it’s often harder police to prove because there’s no standard for marijuana intoxication, like there is for alcohol in blood. Police must prove marijuana OUI cases through a totality of evidence, including sobriety tests, proving erratic driving and blood tests.
• Or in a daycare facility or workplace smoking area: An exception to the allowance of marijuana in private residence is if it’s used as day care or baby-sitting service. Then, you can’t use it during operating hours. Also, you can’t use it in workplace smoking areas. All of this makes sense.

Doing those things could get you a civil violation limited to a $100 fine. 

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