CARIBOU, Maine — A 2024 change in state cannabis law that could affect a local medical marijuana dispensary drew extensive comment during Monday’s Caribou City Council meeting.
Richardson Remedies, which operates in Caribou and Presque Isle, is a registered medical cannabis caregiver. But under a new definition in Maine’s Medical Use of Cannabis Act, the business is now classified as a retail store.
But Caribou has never given local approval to retail cannabis, so the store can only operate as a medical dispensary for caregivers, not sell to patients and the general public. Speakers urged councilors to adopt a retail marijuana rule to allow the shop to continue doing business.
“Under the law’s change, I need you guys’ permission to continue to run,” said Derrell Richardson, owner of Richardson Remedies, who has operated the Caribou site for more than 10 years. “I’m not trying to expand or anything, I’m just trying to continue as is.”
Many people with cancer and other medical conditions rely on his services, Richardson said.
Several community members also urged the council to allow the dispensary to continue operating.
“Fentanyl is a lot bigger problem than marijuana in Aroostook County,” said Lisa Groff of Caribou. “As a cancer survivor with a medical card at the house, I really believe that having a dispensary that is a family-based dispensary giving honest alternatives for prescription cannabis available in town is important for people who suffer from terminal illness.”
Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy now requires municipalities to approve medical marijuana dispensaries as retail stores, and a small change to Caribou’s ordinance could bring Richardson Remedies into compliance, Jennifer Belcher of the Maine Cannabis Union said.
“It’s not that everything is going to change and that everything’s going to blow up like Bangor is and have all these shops on every corner,” she said. “Honestly, everything that was proposed here strictly keeps everything as is. It’s just within compliance, which is really important for us as a union shop and as caregivers and business owners.”
The discussion occurred during the council’s public forum, so no action was taken.
Last week, Belcher sent a suggested ordinance revision to City Manager Penny Thompson, according to council documents. City attorney Richard Solman said councilors would need to change Caribou’s licensing, land use and dispensary zoning codes.
The Office of Cannabis Policy decides whether a registered caregiver office has crossed over into a retail store, City Manager Penny Thompson said Tuesday.
“When I reached out to OCP, they said that the caregiver office at Richardson Remedies is a ‘caregiver retail store’ based on their site visit and the Richardson Remedies website,” she said. “Richardson Remedies has open hours like a store and not by appointment like a caregiver office.”
The city might have needed to amend several sections of its ordinance to allow the business to operate as a caregiver retail store, she said. However, the Maine Municipal Association issued a legal update on April 29, which Thompson shared with The County.
The document states there is an exception for dispensaries that were approved by their municipalities before Dec. 13, 2018. Those stores can continue as is, even if their town or city hasn’t approved retail cannabis. Richardson Remedies was operating before that date.
During Monday’s meeting, councilors recognized three youth groups for outstanding performance. Mayor Courtney Boma presented each student with a certificate of recognition.
Four cadets of the Aroostook Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol received the Brigadier General Billy Mitchell award to commemorate their completion of Phase II of the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program. The award honors excellence in leadership, aerospace, fitness and character.
Cadets Abigail Mierzwa, Gloria Dionne, Ian Lister and Reece Lister received the awards last week during a ceremony at the Caribou VFW.
Councilors also honored the Caribou Community School Show Choir and Caribou High School Jazz Choir for earning gold status at a recent state competition. Both groups are led by director Amy Hunter and assistant Amy Stedman.
The show choir also won the choreography award. Individual musicianship awards went to show choir members Bailey Cochran, Bella Belyea and Benson Belanger and jazz choir members Aydin St. Pierre, Heather Gustin, Madison Thibault and Sadielee Violette.
Other show choir members are Sadie Hunter, Jack Gibson, Emma Graves, Kaydence Mauny, Mallory Maynard, Lexie Ouellette, Katelyn Stedman, Nevaeh Anderson, Isabella Albert, Isabella Belyea, Michaela Rhinebolt, Quinn Gervais, Morgan Lahey, Alexa Guyette, Meredith Lahey, Sophia Beaulieu, Izzy Goodwin, Camilla Boma, Benson Belanger, Jorja Raymond, Marleia Stevens, Ava Rosser, Brooklyn Boutot, Adilynn Powers, Bailey Cochran, Paitynn Wing, Hailey Johnson, Emma Adams, Georgianna Anderson, Elizabeth Powers and Evan Hamilton.
The jazz choir also includes Chloe Boma, Kaytlin Crouse, Maggie Bell, Dean Gibson, Elizabeth Robbins, Madelyn Cote, Charlotte Plourde, Trevor LaPlante, Kassidy Saucier, Emmett Singer and Jadyn Holmes.
In other business, councilors voted to award several public works bids, including: culverts, Paris Farmers of Paris, $17,158; street paint, Franklin Paint of Franklin, Massachusetts, $11,142; shim and patch paving, Northeast Paving of Presque Isle, $81 per ton; Trombley Industries of Limestone, city and country paving, $97.65 and $91.10 a ton, respectively; and winter sand, JBBC Sand of Fort Kent, $16.45 a ton.
The group also voted to reject unsolicited bids for several tax-acquired properties that were far below the property values.
Thompson reported the public safety building project has officially gone out to bid with assistance from Jan Murchison.
Earlier public comments included one from Bruce Hagelstein, who said when city departments were asked to cut their budgets by 10 percent, those cuts ranged from 2 percent to 9 percent.
“I’m sorry, but they were directed for a 10 percent cut. You need to hold their feet to the fire,” he said.
Michelle Blackstone said Caribou needs to improve emergency management communication.
Her father, who lives on the Grimes Road, was not kept informed of conditions during an intense weekend when flooding and ice overflow from the river closed the road she said. He does not use a computer or social media so had no way of knowing the weather conditions.
Following the meeting, Thompson said she personally spoke with affected residents, including Blackstone’s father, throughout the course of the flooding that weekend.
The RSU 39 budget validation election will be held June 10.
The next council meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, in the council chambers.
Correction: The story has been amended to include an update on the retail store law.
