Maine’s Question 5 was the only marijuana-related initiative
to appear on the ballot during the 2009 elections. MPP attorneys drafted
Question 5, and MPP provided initial funding for the signature drive. Sponsored
by the Maine Marijuana Policy Initiative, Maine Commonsense, and Maine Citizens
for Patients’ Rights, Question 5 proposed creating a nonprofit system of
medical marijuana distribution to help patients get a safe supply of their
medicine. It also proposed adding a registry identification card to the state
program and significantly expanding qualifying medical conditions, including by
adding intractable pain, severe nausea, and Crohn’s disease. Maine voters
approved Question 5 on November 4, 2009, 59%-41%.
