The comments from Erik Gundersen, director of the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy, came on the heels of charges that became public two weeks ago against 13 people accused of orchestrating the illegal sale of $13 million in medical marijuana grown in western Maine to those outside the medical marijuana program both in Maine and outside the state.
But the marijuana policy office has taken the approach of expanding access to regulated, legal markets in Maine rather than a more law enforcement-oriented approach, Gundersen said.
Gundersen’s statements show that while the office is taking the Farmington ring seriously, it is acutely aware of the constraints around regulating an industry that has fiercely resisted oversight.
The office has fewer ways to regulate the medical use market than the recreational market for which retail sales started just last year, Gundersen said.
Black markets have continued to exist in other states that have legalized marijuana as well.
While the Office of Marijuana Policy has 12 field investigators, Gundersen said that wasn’t sufficient for performing the necessary level of oversight when the investigators are only getting to registrants every four to five years.
The office notices or receives reports of illicit activity within the industry frequently, Gundersen said.