Maine lawmakers are considering several bills that would limit the growth of recreational cannabis to stabilize the oversupplied market.

According to the Portland Press Herald, one bill being considered, L.D. 1391, would temporarily stop new growth operations from receiving licenses while the market is on the verge of collapse. Unless the market stabilizes before then, the bill would only withhold licenses for 4 months.

Another bill, L.D. 1585, may limit the amount of space used at a newly licensed grow site to 7,000 square feet to help smaller operations stay in business.

The average price for a gram of marijuana is a little more than half of what it was in 2020 when it first entered the market. State officials say Maine’s cannabis prices are at the point where growers aren’t able to cover their expenses and many smaller marijuana growers will be pushed out of the industry because of it.

Some cannabis growers say the state should intervene and stabilize the market before an industry consolidation happens like it has in other states that have legalized marijuana.

Other growers say the state should let the free-market forces weed out the weak businesses that simply aren’t cut out for market management.