MSHA votes not to let medical marijuana in Section 8

AUGUSTA —   On Wednesday, Maine State Housing Authority announced that its commissioners voted not to allow the possession, use or cultivation of medical marijuana in apartments federally subsidized under the Section 8 program.

The decision will not affect a person's status as a medical marijuana user.

According to a press release, MaineHousing recently became aware of a few voucher holders who use, possess or cultivate medical marijuana in their Section 8 units. The tenants have been notified about the new policy and given the opportunity to comply with it.

Federal law prohibits illegally controlled substances such as marijuana in Section 8 housing.

Commissioners made their decision after evaluating Maine's medical marijuana law and considered the responsibilities that could be placed on MaineHousing employees who became aware of a Section 8 voucher holder who is using, cultivating or possessing marijuana.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which oversees the Section 8 program, prohibits public housing authorities like MaineHousing to admit a medical marijuana user into the program.

HUD also prohibits public housing authorities in states with medical marijuana laws to set their own policy to address current Section 8 voucher holders certified to use medical marijuana.

The new policy only affects Section 8 vouchers issued by MaineHousing and not those distributed by municipal housing authorities that adopted their own medical marijuana policies.

Maine's medical marijuana law gives landlords the right to refuse to rent to medical marijuana users if it could cause the landlord to lose federal funding.