Maine’s mom and pop weed scene sweats corporate ‘gentrification’ – Cannabis Business Executive

The state has long cultivated a small business atmosphere around medical marijuana. Now, shop owners fear state rules will favor industry giants.

HALLOWELL, Maine — Eddie Dugay’s cannabis dispensary in this town of less than 2,500 people along the Kennebec River could not exist in most states that allow medical marijuana.

The outside of the shop looks like a typical New England home, with white siding, a pitched roof and dark, faded shutters. The inside has the same homey feel despite the menus advertising everything from marijuana flower to infused gummies. The wallpaper doesn’t quite match the floral-patterned couch or the bold colors of the blanket draped over a chair.

It’s exactly the vibe of shops like Dugay’s 4Twenty that medical cannabis advocates in Maine say makes their program unique and sets it apart from the polish of corporate marijuana chains that increasingly dominate the market in many states and make weed advocates skittish of the burgeoning industry.

Now, the state is in the process of introducing more stringent regulations that would treat all medical marijuana businesses — from small mom and pops to billion-dollar behemoths — nearly the same. Many of these small businesses, known as “caregivers,” fear the proposed rules will quickly push them out of the market in favor of corporate cannabis. [Read More @ Politico]