AUGUSTA — Members of a legislative committee voted Thursday to reject a bill seeking to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Maine.
However, one of the bill’s sponsors said the real fight will be on the House floor and then likely at the ballot box in 2016, regardless of how things play out in the Maine Legislature this year.
After hours of negotiations and concessions by the bill’s authors, the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee voted 6-3 to reject L.D. 1380, which would have created a regulatory system for marijuana, subject to voter approval. Although four committee members were absent, bill supporters said they don’t expect to pick up enough votes to change the outcome. [Read more at the Portland Press Herald]
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