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WEBVTT 2018ADVOCATES WASTED NO TIME INFIRING BACK THIS MORNING AFTERTHE NEWS BROKE THAT LEGISLATIVELEADERS STRUCK A DEAL LAST NIGHTTO DELAY PARTS OF THE NEW LAWFROM TAKING EFFECT.>> FOR THEM TO PROPOSE A DELAYBEFORE WE EVEN STARTED GETTINGTO WORK IS UNREASONABLE.PAUL: THE DEAL IS THE WORK OFTHE TOP TWO MEMBERS OF THE STATELEGISLATURE, REPUBLICAN SENATEPRESIDENT MIKE THIBODEAU ANDDEMOCRATIC HOUSE SPEAKER SARAGIDEON.THEIR PLAN INVOLVES CLARIFYINGTHAT MAINERS UNDER 21 CANNOTLEGALLY BUY OR USE RECREATIONALMARIJUANA.THEY ALSO WANT TO TAP THE BRAKESON THE COMMERCIALIZATION OFMARIJUANA EDIBLES AND THEOPENING OF RETAIL POT SHOPS.>> THIS IS NOT TRYING TOCIRCUMVENT WHAT THE FOLKS PASSEDAT THE BALLOT BOX.IT'S INSTEAD TRYING TO PUTAROUND IT SOME REASONABLE PUBLICPOLICY.PAUL: THIBODEAU AND GIDEON AREWORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER AJOINT SELECT COMMITTEE OFLAWMAKERS TO TRY TO TACKLE THISENORMOUS TASK.>> I THINK WEHAVE MEMBERS INTHE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICANCAUCUSES WHO SIT IN DIFFERENTPLACES ON THESE ISSUES.IT'S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSEIT IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE ATALL.PAUL DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR: MARK DION SAYS THIS BILL MAYNOT PASS BECAUSE IT'S TRYING TOSOLVE TOO MANY PROBLEMS AT ONCE.HE POINTS OUT THAT THIS NEW DEALSEEKS TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROMUSING MARIJUANA ON PRIVATEPROPERTY OUTSIDE THEIR HOMES.TO HIM, THAT MEDDLES TOO MUCHWITH THE LAW THAT VOTERS PASSED.>> I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSINGTHE GREATEST RESERVATION AMONGTHE GROUP OF US WHO MAY REJECTTHE PREMISE OF THAT BILL.PAUL: TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE FOR-- WE COULD SEE A PUBLICSESSION.IT WILL TAKE THE SUPPORT OF TWO

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Legislative leaders have reached a deal to delay parts of the marijuana law voters approved in November. The implementation of retail marijuana sales will be delayed until February 2018, according to a spokeswoman for Speaker of the House Sara Gideon. Personal use of marijuana under the law will go into effect Jan. 30. Voters narrowly approved Question 1 by fewer than 4,000 votes. Legalization advocates blasted the delay on Wednesday. "For them to propose a delay before we even started getting to work is unreasonable," said David Boyer of the Marijuana Policy Project. The deal is the work of the top two members of the state legislature; Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau and Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon. Their plan involves clarifying that Mainers under 21 cannot legally buy or use recreational marijuana. They also want to tap the brakes on the commercialization of marijuana edibles and the opening of retail pot shops. "This is not trying to circumvent what the folks passed at the ballot box," Thibodeau said. "It's instead trying to put around it some reasonable public policy." "I think we have members in the Democratic and Republican caucuses who sit in very different places on these issues," Gideon said. "It's really interesting because it is not a partisan issue at all." Thibodeau and Gideon hope to establish a joint select committee of lawmakers to tackle the enormous issue of legalizing marijuana. Democratic State Sen. Mark Dion believes the bill is trying to solve too many problems at once, and therefore may not pass. He believes it meddles too much with the law that voters passed, especially because it seeks to prevent people from using marijuana on private property outside their homes. "I think that's what's causing the greatest reservation among the group of us who may reject the premise of that bill," Dion said. Support from two-thirds of the legislature is needed to pass the bill, and public hearings could be scheduled as early as next week.