Posted inMaine

Split between marijuana legalization groups could undermine effort in Maine

AUGUSTA — Maine voters could face competing pot ballot measures in 2016, both seeking to make recreational marijuana legal. But the split between a national legalization advocacy group and a home-grown Maine organization could divide support for marijuana reforms that most polls suggest are favored by a majority of the state’s voters. On Wednesday, Paul […]

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Posted inMaine

Brakey pushes bill to allow medical pot in hospitals

AUGUSTA — State Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, is sponsoring legislation that would allow medical marijuana patients legal access to their prescriptions in a hospital. Brakey’s bill, LD 35, “An Act To Allow a Qualifying Patient To Use Medical Marijuana in a Hospital,” is a response to federal licensing laws, which prohibit hospital patients from using […]

Posted inMaine

State police want law allowing OUI test for marijuana

AUGUSTA — Maine State Police will ask state lawmakers to make it legal for police to test drivers who may be impaired by marijuana. A bill from the Department of Public Safety is seeking to establish a limit for legally operating a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana similar to the state’s law against […]

Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, Oxford Hills, River Valley

Mexico man indicted on burglary charges involving marijuana, property theft

PARIS — A grand jury has indicted a Mexico man on felony burglary charges after police said he broke into the same house in Rumford on three occasions to steal marijuana.  Michael E. Child, 51, of Swett Avenue was indicted on three felony counts of burglary and misdemeanor charges of theft and criminal mischief by an […]

Posted inFranklin

Two Livermore Falls men indicted on marijuana charges

AUBURN — Two of three men accused in September of trafficking in marijuana were indicted Tuesday by an Androscoggin County grand jury. Caleb Hollatz, 29, of Livermore Falls and Benjamin Kahn, 34, of Livermore Falls were each indicted on a charge of felony unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs. Hollatz also faces criminal forfeiture of $3,900 […]

Posted inFranklin

Jay man sentenced to three years in prison in sexual touching case

FARMINGTON — A Franklin County judge sentenced a Jay man Friday to three years in prison with all but one year suspended and four years of probation for sexually touching a 14-year-old girl. Shawn Burnell, 21, pleaded guilty in October to a felony charge of unlawful sexual contact and a misdemeanor charge of criminal restraint. […]

Posted inFranklin

Avon man pleads guilty in one of Franklin County’s largest drug busts

FARMINGTON — An Avon man pleaded guilty Friday to trafficking in oxycodone, hydrocodone and marijuana. Daryl “Poochie” Searles, 57, was arrested April 18 at his home at 148 Avon Valley Road. He also admitted Friday in Franklin County Superior Court to criminal forfeiture involving $144,008 in cash and seven guns seized during the April bust by […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

Legalize Maine proposes statewide marijuana legalization

AUGUSTA — Legalize Maine, a group formed this week to push a statewide referendum to lift the ban on recreational marijuana use in Maine, offered a first glimpse Wednesday at the law it will ask voters to pass in 2016. Legalize Maine, which registered Tuesday as a political action committee, is one of two groups […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

Second legalized marijuana group forms in Maine

AUGUSTA — A second group has formed with the intention of asking Maine voters to legalize recreational use of marijuana, raising questions about whether the two initiatives might spur the incoming Legislature to pre-empt them and write its own law to send to referendum. , formerly the legislative liaison for Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine, […]