Maine Legislature Votes on Marijuana Bill Veto

Updating our previous post on the fate of LD 1650, Governor LePage last week vetoed the bill and set the stage for action at the State House on Monday, where the Legislature was deciding whether to override the Governor’s veto. A two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate was required to overcome a veto.

We now know the result: the veto has been sustained, with the House voting 74-62 to uphold the Governor’s action.

A vote to override the Governor’s veto would have meant that the bill, which provided a framework for implementing the legalization of recreational marijuana approved by voters last November, would have become law and provided some flexibility for municipalities to regulate recreational marijuana. Today’s vote at the Legislature, however, means that the legalization of recreational marijuana will continue to be in legal limbo for the foreseeable future.