Legal Pot Faces Final Public Hearing Test In Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's tentative rules about legalized recreational marijuana are up for a key hearing that could represent one of the proposal's final hurdles before approval.

The proposal is scheduled for a public hearing before the Maine Legislature's Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs on Monday at 1:30 p.m. The proposal covers important subjects such as retail and licensure rules.

Maine voters approved legalization of adult use marijuana in a 2016 vote. The state has provisionally accepted draft rules about legal pot, and needs the Maine Legislature to enact them. The next step after Monday's public hearing would be for the legal affairs committee to cast an affirmative vote in support of the proposal.

Officials in the state have said retail recreational marijuana could arrive in stores as soon as early 2020.