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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 929
H.P. 594 House of Representatives, March 11, 2025
An Act to Increase Access to Medical Cannabis for Seniors and
Veterans
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 5, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative OSHER of Orono.
Cosponsored by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland and
Representatives: BOYER of Poland, FRIEDMANN of Bar Harbor, FROST of Belgrade,
LOOKNER of Portland, SUPICA of Bangor.
Page 1 - 132LR1336(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2421-A, sub-§39, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 679, Pt. A, §3, is
3 amended to read:
439. Qualifying patient. "Qualifying patient" means an individual who is a senior, a
5 veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or has been a resident of the State for at
6 least 30 days and who possesses a valid written certification regarding medical use of
7 cannabis in accordance with this chapter.
8Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §2421-A, sub-§48-A is enacted to read:
948-A. Senior. "Senior" means an individual who is 65 years of age or older.
10Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §2421-A, sub-§54, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 679, Pt. A, §3, is
11 amended to read:
1254. Written certification. "Written certification" means a document signed by a
13 medical provider and issued to a qualifying patient, or a digital image of that document
14 issued by the medical provider that states that, in the medical provider's professional
15 opinion, the patient is likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit from the medical
16 use of cannabis to treat or alleviate the patient's medical diagnosis or symptoms associated
17 with the medical diagnosis. "Written certification" includes:
18 A. For a senior, a government-issued identification card; and
19 B. For a veteran:
20 (1) An identification card issued by the United States Department of Defense;
21 (2) A veteran health identification card or other identification card issued by the
22 United States Department of Veterans Affairs; or
23 (3) A veteran designation or other mark signifying the patient is a veteran on a
24 government-issued identification card.
25SUMMARY
26 This bill allows individuals who are 65 years of age or older or veterans of the Armed
27 Forces of the United States to be qualifying patients under the Maine Medical Use of
28 Cannabis Act without requiring a valid written certification regarding medical use of
29 cannabis.
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