Portland city councilors Monday night agreed to allow the temporary licensing of existing marijuana testing facilities, which are necessary for the adult use recreational marijuana industry to open in Maine. Two of Maine's potential testing facilities are in Portland, and the state needs municipal approval to license them, city officials said.
Erik Gunderson, the director of the state Office of Marijuana Policy, said testing is crucial so that consumers understand what is, and is not, in their products.
"Much like everybody else we've had to adjust on the fly with the whole public health pandemic," he said. "So this is just an opportunity for us to set the table and, again, to quickly and safely impletment as soon as feasible."
The Portland City Council also voted unanimously to extend its COVID-19 emergency stay-at-home order through May 18.
