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I’ve been growing plants for as long as I can remember. I started growing medical cannabis in 2010 and began growing hemp in 2023. Today I run Mantis Medicinals, my CBD company, on my farm in Montville, where we make tinctures, salves, teas and body oils from plants we grow ourselves. We were the first woman-owned farm in Maine to earn MOFGA’s Clean Cannabis Certification.
On Dec. 11, a federal ban will take effect that would make most of what we produce illegal. For a small, woman-owned business like mine, that would be devastating.
I think about the customers who’ve written to us. A woman going through chemotherapy who takes our tincture before every treatment and told us it’s eased her side effects. A man who lost his leg years ago and said our salve was the first thing that helped. A neighbor who hadn’t slept well in years until she tried our sleep oil. They found us because they wanted something clean, tested and grown by someone they could meet at the farmers market.
I support rules that keep unsafe, lab-made products off shelves. But a ban that treats a certified organic Maine farm the same as a gas station vape cartridge isn’t protecting anyone. It’s just putting small farms out of business.
Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King can help stop that before Dec. 11. I hope they’ll stand up for Maine growers and the customers who count on us.
Katrina Mascolo
Montville