LD 1418 would increase the number of plants a patient can grow. How does this increase regulation and control?
The current limit of six plants, only three of which can be flowering, is not adequate. Plants grown indoors in Maine’s climate do not produce usable medicine like plants grown outdoors in tropical locations or southern states. Two plants are often kept as “mother” plants for cuttings. (Cuttings are more effective indoor settings while seeds work best in outdoor settings.) Most patients find it impossible to maintain a steady supply of medicine under the current limits, even if they are expert gardeners. Because the symptoms patients suffer are so severe (and in some cases life threatening) the inducement to seek supplies in the dangerous illicit market remains. Many elderly and very sick patients also prefer to consume their medication in baked goods or by use of a vaporizer, which does not burn the marijuana. Such methods require more usable marijuana than smoking. Rhode Island has had a 12-plant limit (as proposed in LD 1418) for nearly a year with no significant problems. The same
