In last year's campaign cycle, Sen. Craig Hickman of Winthrop and Rep. David Boyer of Poland each received more than $10,000 in campaign donations from the medical cannabis lobby. It was more than half of Boyer's total campaign cash, and about a third of Hickman's.
This year, they are the top lawmakers on the legislative committee that will hear competing legislation on whether to tighten or ease regulations on Maine's medical cannabis industry, already among the least regulated anywhere in the country.
Hickman, a Democrat, and Boyer, a Republican, have left little doubt as to which side they support after calling for investigations into the state's top cannabis regulator and signing on as co-sponsors of a bill that would ease growing and licensing rules for medical caregivers — a term used to describe anyone licensed to grow and sell medical cannabis, including individual and large-scale growers alike.
It's neither uncommon nor illegal for lobbying industries to donate to lawmakers. But the close relationship between key legislators and industry members reflects how Maine's medical pot lobby has used its influence to keep regulations minimal even as state officials and other lawmakers have expressed concerns that lax oversight creates safety concerns.
Read more at Portland Press Herald