State cannabis regulators will be in Biddeford next week for the first of five statewide meetings to help the public understand the state’s two cannabis programs.

Billed as a “listening tour,” the Office of Cannabis Policy will hold the 90-minute, town hall style events to answer questions and clear up any misconceptions, according to a press release from the office.

“Maine’s adult-use cannabis industry continues to be one of the fastest growing segments of the state’s economy,” said Erik Gundersen, director of the cannabis office. “My team is eager to engage directly with stakeholders and use this opportunity to hear success stories and challenges, and ultimately create better policy for improved public health and safety as the programs continue to expand.”

Maine has two related, yet distinct, cannabis programs. One is the medical-use program in which licensed caregivers sell cannabis to patients with a doctor’s order. The other is the adult use program that permits recreational marijuana sales and was launched in the fall of 2020.

A relatively new agency, the Office of Cannabis Policy was created in February 2019 and the statewide meetings mark the “first major public engagement” by the office since its creation.

The meetings are set for: 6 p.m. on June 22 in Biddeford at the University of New England’s Alfond Center for Health Sciences, Room 205; 6 p.m. on July 20 in Waterville at the Best Western Hotel’s O’Brien’s Events Center; 6 p.m. Aug. 24 in Bangor at the Bangor Arts Exchange; 6 p.m. Sept. 14 in Ellsworth at the city’s municipal building; 6 p.m. Oct. 12 in Presque Isle at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.