Why This Tiny Maine Town Became the Cannabis Capital of the State

Gather round and pictures this, you are driving down the road through a quiet, cozy town called Bethel, Maine and you’re noticing the coffee shops, inns, maybe thinking, they probably get some ski traffic, but doesn’t seem like it’s screaming, "We’re the cannabis capital of Maine, right?” Wrong, because they are, according to Portland Press Herald. 

Bethel is one of the biggest weed hotspots in Maine right and it makes a lot of sense when you look closer.

Why is Bethel, Maine Considered a Cannabis Hotspot?

First, location is everything and Bethel is sitting pretty just about 1- miles from the New Hampshire border, where recreational cannabis is still illegal. So, guess what folks do?

Yeah, they cross in to Maine to buy it. It’s kind of like how Mainers go to NH for tax free stuff, but reversed.  

Then, you add in the tourism bit, Bethel is right near Sunday River Resort, a lot of year round visitors, hikers, peepers etc. And where are those tourists shopping?  

At the local dispensaries. 

According to the report, on top of that, Maine has made it pretty easy for cannabis spots to open. Bethel doesn’t have strict limits on how many shops could come in so now you’ve got a town of over 2500 people with a surprisingly high number of dispensaries, grows, and weed operations.  

But here’s where it gets interesting, the locals aren’t totally convinced it’ll last though.

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There are many spots that people are starting to wonder if the market’s maybe a little overcrowded. And to be honest, I think many of us have been thinking the same thing for the entire state of Maine being oversaturated with dispensaries. 

So yeah, Bethel didn’t randomly become the cannabis capital.

The real question now? Can all those businesses actually survive long-term?