New medical marijuana dispensary opens in Maine

HALLOWELL, Maine — From the brick sidewalk lining the main street of this tiny city of antiques and bistros, you can dodge up a wide alley and make a quick turn to see an unobtrusive white sign near a door.

You've found the Wellness Connection of Maine, the newest of the eight medical marijuana dispensaries allowed in the state following a referendum that passed in 2009.

The law expanded the conditions under which people could be prescribed the drug, and allowed retail dispensaries where patients may legally buy marijuana with a doctor's prescription to ease the pain of chronic diseases.

But despite the 3-2 vote of support statewide, Maine towns and cities have not always welcomed medical marijuana facilities with open arms. Some slapped moratoriums on them, and worried residents effectively barred them from their neighborhoods.

In Hallowell, the city of 2,400 nestled in Augusta's shadow, Mayor Charlotte Warren turned out to formally welcome the state's latest dispensary in the spirit of its "good neighbor policy."

Warren said she understands that some people's reservations about medical marijuana but is confident that "this will be a professionally operated medical center."

The nonprofit Wellness Connection opened its doors last week for what may be non-patients' only inside look at the facility. A Wellness Connection dispensary has also opened in Thomaston and two others, in Portland and Brewer, will open in the weeks ahead. Compassion Center operates a Lewiston dispensary.

State law allows a total of eight dispensaries in the state, each serving a distinct region. The 2,400-square-foot Hallowell facility's entrance is placed in a discreet location off the main drag but still easily accessible to patients.

The typical person among the 30 or so being treated is 40 to 50 years old, suffers from a serious illness and was referred by a doctor, said the center's Faith Benedetti. A security system blocks out the curious who might otherwise walk in, and only those who show they are authorized to use cannabis are admitted.

Once inside, they sit in a large room with soft chairs and discuss treatment options with staff. The center also has a small kitchenette and a restroom. The walls are mostly spring-green, matching the soft colors in the two treatment rooms, and in places the walls are broken up by lengths of split birch trees that give the feeling of outdoors.