Alright, folks, let’s cut through the nonsense. On Feb. 14th, 2025, the Maine Government Oversight Committee had a sit-down, and guess what? The first thing on the docket was a cannabis report from Rep. David Boyer and Chad Perkins. Rep. Boyer stepped up with an 8-page speech that laid out exactly what’s been going down: the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy’s (OCP) Stakeholder Relations, Director John Hudak’s shady connections, and the OCP’s failure to deal with suspected illicit cannabis cultivators.
Now, I’m not going to sugarcoat it—Maine’s cannabis program is on the fast track to a train wreck, and if you haven’t noticed, it’s time to wake up. The OCP is a disaster, and it’s shaking the entire industry to its core. Dysfunction, confusion, shady behavior—this isn’t just a bump in the road, folks, it’s a full-blown regulatory crisis. And it’s been brewing for too damn long. Hell, I’d say it’s well past time for an independent investigation. This needs to happen yesterday. Or back in September 2023 when Beard Bros first covered this in my article “Main(e) Conflict of Interest”
So here’s the thing: If you’re not seeing the bigger picture here, you’re missing out. The trust between lawmakers and the cannabis community towards Maine OCP is gone. And honestly, if you didn’t think it was already gone, it’s definitely gone now. Rep. Boyer’s right—this isn’t a one-off problem. The rot runs deep.
The OCP’s Stakeholder Relations: A Hot Mess
Let’s start with the OCP’s relationship with the folks they’re supposed to regulate. And I’m not talking about the kind of relationship you want—this is a disaster, people. We’re talking about paranoia and confusion all the way down. For years, cannabis operators have been screaming at the OCP about their lack of communication, transparency, and basic decency. The feedback? It’s all over the place, and it’s ugly. You’ve got inspectors who act like law enforcement, turning small infractions into criminal investigations. On the other hand, some inspectors couldn’t give two shits about helping operators stay compliant.
And here’s the kicker: when operators go to OCP for clarification, what do they get? “Sorry, we can’t give legal advice.” Well, who the hell is supposed to help, then? The OCP isn’t going to lift a finger to help the industry follow the rules, but they sure as hell will slap a violation on you when you step out of line. How are we supposed to build a thriving industry with this kind of nonsense? It’s a house of cards waiting to collapse.
One story that really grinds my gears? A local cannabis shop had been running a “Trunk or Treat” event for years. But just days before the event, OCP slapped a violation on them and ordered them to cancel. No explanation, no reasoning—just cancel. That doesn’t build trust, people. It just makes the whole damn system feel like a joke.
The Real Issue: Director Hudak’s Shady Connections
Now, let’s talk about the man behind the curtain—Director John Hudak. This guy’s got a sketchy past, and I’m not the only one saying it. Before he became OCP’s director in 2022, Hudak co-founded a consulting firm, Freedman & Koski, Inc., which had its grubby hands all over Maine’s cannabis rules for years.
One of his former business partners, Lewis Koski, ended up at METRC—the company the state contracts with for cannabis tracking. So Hudak goes from co-founding a company involved in cannabis regulation to overseeing the OCP, which negotiates contracts with METRC. This is a textbook example of the appearance of a conflict of interest. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see it.
And if you’re wondering if this affects decisions being made at the OCP, let me tell you—it does. If you’ve been paying attention, you know this situation stinks. You can’t pretend this doesn’t raise some serious red flags. If this all sounds familiar, you’re not wrong. Beard Bros were the first to call this out back in September 2023 with the article titled Main(e) Conflict of Interest.
Illicit Cultivators and Government Control: A Hypocrisy Exposed
Now, let’s get into the whole issue of illicit cultivators. The OCP’s approach here is a mess. They seem to think that if they just sit back, point fingers, and make life harder for everyone, they’ll somehow stop illegal grows from slipping through the cracks. But let’s get real: if the government actually cared about stopping illegal grows, they wouldn’t be monopolizing the entire cannabis supply chain. They’d stop hoarding all the power and let people have access to cannabis without making it harder than it needs to be.
Think about it—if EVERYONE had “legal”, reliable access to cannabis/ right to homegrow, the “black market” apparent clientele would shrink drastically. The demand for cannabis isn’t new; people have been consuming it for decades, long before it was ever “legal.” The only real problem here is the mess caused by the War on Drugs. The government went from “weed is evil” to “well, some weed’s fine, but only if we say so” way too fast, and they don’t have the data to back up their policies.
Here’s the kicker: the government’s monopoly on cannabis is the very thing that’s created this mess. By controlling everything, they’ve made it nearly impossible for legitimate businesses to survive. Meanwhile, illicit growers are slipping through the cracks and are able to serve people in states where cannabis is still highly illegal, which increases demand and increases the profit.. And guess what? The demand is massive and always has been. Cannabis was legal longer than it was illegal—federal prohibition only kicked in in 1937, and California was the first to ban it in 1913. So how about we
stop acting like the government needs to control everything? If everyone in this country had basic cannabis rights across the board, these “illicit markets” the government fears so much would run out of clientele. But in my personal opinion the government doesn’t want that, they want to make money off the fines, fee, prison labor, etc.
Bottom Line, We Need Answers—and Accountability
Make no mistake about it—this isn’t just one bad apple at the OCP. These problems are systemic, and if we don’t fix them, they’re going to get a whole lot worse. Maine’s cannabis industry is at a crossroads. Rep. Boyer is calling for an investigation into the OCP, and honestly, that’s the only move here. If we want a cannabis program that’s fair, transparent, and accountable, it’s time to take a hard look at what’s going on inside the OCP. The government oversight committee voted unanimously to investigate the OCP for the appearance of a conflict of interest—and that’s a start.
Maine deserves better than this. We need answers, we need transparency, and we need accountability—and we need it now before the damage can spread any further.
This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the views of Beard Bros Pharms.
More work from Derek here at Beard Bros Pharms:
A Look Inside Maine’s Medical and Adult Use Cannabis Markets.
When Was Maine’s First Cannabis Recall?
RECAP: Maine Cannabis Summit Recap Hosted by State Rep. David Boyer
Keeping Secrets and Changing Laws: Maine OCP’s Masterclass in Political Sleight of Hand
29 Cannabis Bills Hit Maine Legislature—What’s at Stake for Small Farmers and Patients?
Gov. Janet Mills Just Slammed Maine’s Medical Cannabis Program—And It’s a Total Disgrace
Maine’s Cannabis Testing Bill LD 104: A Death Sentence for Small Business and Patient Access
Derek Shirley was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of 19, he received a felony for 4 ounces of cannabis. After, he became a “cannabis nomad” living in Ohio, Arizona, and Maine, which he now calls home, and lives with his wife Sequoia and son Haze.
Being a cannabis nomad had its advantages, like relying on all markets for his medical cannabis needs which gives him a unique perspective of the cannabis markets. Currently, he is an influential pro-cannabis activist in the state of Maine who helps local people and small businesses navigate their local and state governments without picking a political party specializing in protecting and preserving the small medical cannabis farmers of Maine. For fun, Derek enjoys screen printing and making cannabis memes under the pseudonym @gettinghighwithcats on IG
