YORK, Maine — In the upcoming battle to legalize marijuana in Maine, the opposition has no money and little experience against the efforts of the Marijuana Policy Project, which has been gearing up for this fight for years.

YORK, Maine — In the upcoming battle to legalize marijuana in Maine, the opposition has no money and little experience against the efforts of the Marijuana Policy Project, which has been gearing up for this fight for years.



Smart Approaches to Marijuana nationally has Patrick Kennedy as its chairman and, in Maine, is run on a volunteer basis by Scott Gagnon of Auburn, a substance abuse prevention manager for Androscoggin County. SAM Maine was launched on election day in November 2013, according to Gagnon. On that day, 67 percent of Portland residents voted to legalize possession of marijuana in the city.



The Maine Marijuana Project was among the organizations behind the Portland effort, and is also eyeing York, South Portland and Lewiston for possible ballot referendums this November, laying the groundwork for a statewide petitioned referendum in 2016. If passed, the referendum would legalize marijuana in Maine in much the same way Colorado has done. Sale of marijuana, both in cigarette and edible form, began in January in that state.



Opponents of legalized sales of the drug say it's being targeted to youth, the most vulnerable demographic for addiction. Colorado has "Pot Tarts" for sale, as well as marijuana in candy, Gagnon said.



Local substance abuse coordinator Sally Manninen said she's seen an advertisement for a Colorado ski area that offers "a free joint with every lift ticket."



Gagnon said, "I think we have quite a bit to learn from Colorado. We have to ask ourselves, do we want those experiences in Maine?"



SAM Maine has formed alliances with other organizations that have backed its anti-legalization stance, including the Maine Public Health Association and Maine Chiefs of Police Association. It has no budget, according to Gagnon.



"It's certainly going to be a challenge," he said, "and we've got our work cut out for us."



Matt Simon, New England political director of the Marijuana Policy Project, has been lobbying for passage, mostly in New Hampshire, for years. "So far Colorado's experience has been positive overall," said Simon, a resident of Goffstown, N.H. "Cautiously, so far it's been good."



Marijuana "is here to stay," Simon said, estimating that more than 100,000 people in New Hampshire use marijuana at least once a month.



"The question is regulation versus prohibition," Simon said. "I've estimated New Hampshire's illicit (market) is over $150 million a year. That's all money that flows out of New Hampshire into the hands of criminals. If we regulate marijuana, we create thousands of jobs in the state ... selling it in a regulated environment."



York Police Chief Doug Bracy said he doesn't believe marijuana would help solve the state's budget problems any more than the introduction of gambling has done. "It seems to be a cash business," Bracy said. "Where is the enforcement and regulatory process to see if Colorado is getting (what it should)?"



Gagnon said he believes the social cost would be more than what any state takes in. "Most of the people who are using regularly are addicted to it," he said. "This isn't about keeping a casual user from using. It's the public health issue."



Manninen added, "For some reason, people don't think it's addictive. It is. The younger you start any drug — tobacco, marijuana — the more likely you'll become addicted to it."



The Choose To Be Healthy Coalition of York Hospital, where Manninen works, is the local Healthy Maine Partnership funded by tobacco settlement money through the state Department of Health and Human Services. Manninen said the belief that everyone is using marijuana is a myth. "Most adults and youth do not smoke marijuana," she said.



The largest demographic is the 27 percent between the ages of 18 to 26, who've said they've used marijuana in the last month, she said, quoting a 2010 national survey. A Maine Integrated Health Use Survey from 2013 shows 22 percent of students said they smoked once in the last 30 days, she said. Over age 26, only 7 percent said they've used marijuana, she said. A state survey also shows 62 percent of students didn't think using marijuana was harmful and 63 percent of students thought it's easy to get, she said.



"I don't believe these people are talking about legalizing marijuana for adults," she said. "This is going to be marketed to young people. We know that young people are more likely to use a drug if they have easy access and don't think it's harmful."



Maine will likely not be the first state in New England to legalize marijuana, according to Simon. Rhode Island could pass a measure this year and Vermont could be second as it is talking about legalization, he said. Massachusetts, as well as Maine, could also have a ballot initiative for November 2016, he said. New Hampshire trails behind Rhode Island and Vermont, according to Simon.



"We have no hope of passing it this year," he said, adding "the conversation has gone from a theoretical crazy idea to reality."