BANGOR, Maine — In a city council meeting Monday night, Bangor city councilors implemented the licensing laws that will govern the future of recreational marijuana sales in their city.
The city is entitled to license and collect fees associated with licensing the sale of marijuana when retail pot sales get the green light statewide.
But at least one man is saying they're late to the game.
Machias businessman David Finlay has already been capitalizing on the city's current lack of marijuana oversight by selling medical cannabis out of a camper on the Bangor waterfront with a license out of Machias.
"We're really capitalizing on the market because it's untapped," said Finlay, CEO of Indian Trail Farms.
Finlay has a municipal marijuana license in Machias and said he's always growing and cultivating the maximum number of plants his license allows in order to serve the maximum number of medical marijuana patients across Maine.
According to Finlay, Indian Trail Farms is a major supplier of medical marijuana in Bangor, Ellsworth, Waterville, and Lewiston.
He said his idea to try something new, by bringing marijuana to you with the mobile van, is more of an effort to advertise and market his company outside of Machias.
"When Bangor does decide what they want to do with the recreational market, we hope we are able to get a recreational license in Bangor," said Finlay.
"It actually starts at the state level," said Bangor city councilor Clare Davitt. "You have to get a conditional license from the state before you can come and do any of the paperwork with us."
Davitt said those wishing to obtain a retail license in Bangor will not be able to both grow and sell like Finlay's medical grow operation in Machias.
Finlay believes Bangor is behind the times when it comes to the pot business.
"The medical, I think, is going to be the only thing that’s going to be available for a while," said Finlay. "I think they have a long road ahead before they are going to be able to give out retail licenses in Bangor."
Davitt disagrees. She said the city had been waiting for the state approval to move forward with retail licenses.
"There's definitely people who have been excited and waiting, so I think it will start to flow once licenses are in place," added Davitt.
“Hopefully when it becomes retail they think about who they give licenses to," said Finlay of the city council. "So it doesn't become a grab-all with everybody just start selling marijuana without testing, without paying taxes, without having employees on payroll and licensing and insurance."