AUBURN — After passing a six-month moratorium on medical marijuana caregiver storefronts last month, the city is allowing its six storefront operations to continue until new state laws are in place.

The council June 18 unanimously passed a six-month moratorium on marijuana caregiver storefronts and social clubs — with an effective date of May 31. A week later, the Maine Legislature passed sweeping new changes to the state’s medical marijuana laws.

Barring a veto from Gov. Paul LePage, those changes are to become law next week. 

The legislation is the first to specifically address medical caregiver storefronts, but adds a municipal opt-in clause, meaning cities must have specific language that allows medical storefronts. 

Auburn does not have an ordinance addressing the storefronts, where medical marijuana caregivers serve card-carrying patients out retail sites. A number of the business owners asked the council to not pass the moratorium during the June meeting. 

Police and city staff told the City Council on Monday that a marijuana workgroup will wait until August to convene to see if the legislation passes. 

Eric Cousens, deputy director of Economic and Community Development, said Monday that as the city awaits final word, staff has been compiling a list of the current storefront operations and their specific licenses. 

He said the city is allowing the storefronts to continue, even as some do not have marijuana-specific licenses. 

Only three of the six — Crystal Springs Healing Alternatives, Port City Relief and Fire Pharms — are listed as having marijuana-specific approvals from the city. 

“We’ve not taken action against any existing establishments,” Cousens told the council. “We’re trying to get a handle on what they have for licenses.”

According to a memo to the council, “Further review will be needed to confirm if facilities suspected of operating as Retail Medical Marijuana Storefronts as defined in the ordinance are conducting business in violation of existing permits and licenses.”

He said the workgroup will look at how the new state rules apply to each business as they become law. The council also met with legal counsel in executive session prior to the meeting to discuss the moratorium and the city’s options. 

Police Chief Phil Crowell told the council the new legislation will “provide a clearer picture for municipalities.” While councilors have previously said they support such businesses, many have also said they needed to be regulated. 

The new law also allows caregivers to expand their business by hiring more than one worker, and by selling up to 30 percent of their harvest to other caregivers and dispensaries. It also changes some patient and dispensary rules. 

The owners of one caregiver storefront, Legal Peaces, were in attendance Monday but did not speak during public comment. Owner Vincent Gogan had previously told the Sun Journal the moratorium’s timing, with the retroactive date, affected his business licenses in the middle of a move to Turner Street. 

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