Hancock County reflects Maine’s slow embrace of recreational marijuana

Hancock County reflects statewide trend which saw Maine adopt recreational marijuana more slowly than some in the industry expected when sales began in late 2020.

The coastal county saw the opening of its first recreational marijuana store this year, and the new year could see growth. However, even while two other cities in Hancock County are considering allowing retail marijuana dealers, businesses are still not allowed to open in most of the county, including in the population center of Ellsworth.

Meristem, the county’s only entertainment store, quietly opened its doors in Southwest Harbor in July. Since then, the business has held steady, but certainly not the “green rush” some had expected, said Tyler Johnson, who owns the company with his wife Natasha.