Maine Lawmakers Push for Legal Weed Lounges, Leaving the State on the Sidelines

A new bill in Maine could give cities and towns the green light to license cannabis lounges—letting people smoke weed indoors legally, but without much say from the state itself.

House Bill 1365, introduced by Republican Rep. David Boyer, would allow municipalities to license so-called “cannabis hospitality lounges,” where adults 21 and over could gather and consume marijuana. That might not sound revolutionary, but in Maine—where recreational weed’s been legal since 2016—it’s actually a big shift. And this time, it’s local governments, not the state, that would call the shots.

Local Control, Not State Bureaucracy

Most other states with legal weed manage cannabis lounges through state-level regulations. Maine’s bill takes a different road entirely.

Instead of oversight from the Office of Cannabis Policy or the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, municipalities would control the licensing process. They’d get to decide whether a lounge can operate—and how.

That’s a pretty major departure. In places like California or Colorado, businesses have to jump through several hoops to comply with both local and state rules. Maine’s bill essentially says, “You want it in your town? Go ahead.”

It’s a hands-off approach at the state level. But whether that gives towns more freedom or just more confusion is still up for debate.

No Retail License Needed—And Maybe Food?

Here’s where it gets weirder: under the current proposal, these lounges wouldn’t need a retail cannabis license.

That’s right. A venue could open up for marijuana consumption without selling any cannabis at all. That’s unusual—most states only allow consumption lounges if they’re attached to dispensaries or retail shops.

And then there’s the food angle. The bill mentions that non-cannabis food items are allowed on-site, but it’s fuzzy on the details. Can they be sold? Can you bring your own snacks? It’s not clear.

A one-sentence paragraph? Sure: That ambiguity might cause headaches for business owners down the line.

Here’s what the proposal seems to allow so far:

• Adults 21+ can consume cannabis flower and other products at designated lounges

• Food (non-infused) may be permitted at venues

• Venues don’t need to sell cannabis to be licensed

• Local governments can choose whether to allow or deny such lounges

• No retail license or state oversight required

It’s barebones. And intentionally so, according to supporters like Boyer, who argue that keeping the state out makes things simpler.

A Nod to Indoor Smoking—With No Mention of Ventilation

One of the bill’s most eyebrow-raising features? It would amend Maine’s smoking laws to permit indoor marijuana use.

That’s no small thing.

Indoor smoking bans are standard in most public spaces. Places like Las Vegas, where lounges are legal, require costly ventilation systems to keep the air clean. Maine’s bill doesn’t talk about any of that.

Not one word on air filters, smoke mitigation, or public health concerns. It simply allows cannabis to be smoked indoors in licensed venues.

Some are worried this opens the door—literally—to health risks, secondhand smoke, or legal challenges down the road. Others see it as a bold step toward treating cannabis more like alcohol, where lounges are more like bars than clinics.

One paragraph. One sentence. No ventilation requirement might cause blowback.

Nine Years Since Legalization—Still No Lounges

It’s been almost a decade since Mainers voted to legalize recreational marijuana. But so far? Still no legal place to smoke it in public.

That’s become a sticking point.

Recreational cannabis sales kicked off in 2020, but consumption rules have lagged far behind. Advocates say the lack of lounges creates inequity. Renters, tourists, and anyone living in federally subsidized housing often have nowhere to legally use cannabis—except maybe a sidewalk.

MJBizDaily reported back in February that momentum was building to finally address this gap. This bill is part of that push.

And for Boyer, who previously worked with the Marijuana Policy Project, it’s personal. He’s been involved in cannabis reform for over a decade and sees lounges as the next logical step in Maine’s legalization story.

What Happens Next? Committee Decision Coming Soon

For now, the bill is headed to Maine’s Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.

That committee will hold hearings and decide whether the proposal deserves a full House vote. It’s not clear how much support it has yet, but the bill has already drawn attention from business owners and legalization advocates across the state.

Some see it as a long-overdue update to Maine’s slow-moving cannabis rules. Others worry about the lack of structure and oversight.

Here’s a quick look at how Maine stacks up against other states that allow consumption lounges:

This one-paragraph closer says it all: If passed, Maine could be the only state with legal cannabis lounges and no retail license or state-level regulation required.