Penelope Overton

Press Herald

Penelope Overton writes about the lobster and marijuana industries in Maine, a mix of the iconic and the emerging, the economic powerhouse and the mysterious darkhorse. Just the right mix of old and new for a Maine transplant. Penny joined the Press Herald in 2016. She has covered politics and government, the environment and Indian Country in Florida, Connecticut, Arizona and Washington, D.C. Her favorite stories are when she gets to dive into a world where readers seldom venture. When she’s not newspapering, Penny and her young daughter like to hike, body surf, travel and explore new books, places, poems and people. She is plovertonpph on both Instagram and Snapchat.

Latest

Published
January 7, 2020

Portland puts off vote on marijuana licenses until at least March

City Council committees continue to debate proposed rules for a lottery to award as many as 20 retail licenses, meaning Portland won’t be ready when the state is likely to start recreational sales.
Published
January 7, 2020

Maine hemp farmers want relaxed THC rules, lower fees

The state wants to change the way it differentiates hemp from marijuana to echo stricter federal guidelines.
Published
January 6, 2020

Portland edges closer to adopting rules for marijuana retailers

Officials are scheduled to meet Tuesday to finalize the proposed regulations they will send to the City Council for approval.
Published
January 3, 2020

Maine’s final plan to protect whales includes fewer lines, and a little slack, for lobstermen

The state proposal calls for the use of weak rope, fewer buoy lines carrying more traps in deeper waters, and flexibility to approve alternative protections to sustain fishermen and regional fishing traditions.
Published
December 20, 2019

Dispensary operator named to state cannabis board

Josh Quint, director of operations for the Biddeford-based medical marijuana firm Canuvo, will become the first grower to serve on the 15-member panel.
Published
December 20, 2019

Efforts to improve banking access for cannabis growers take a big hit

A proposal to protect financial institutions serving marijuana businesses was stripped from the federal spending bill, and a measure to improve access to banking is held up in the Senate Banking Committee.
Published
December 18, 2019

New hemp rules would raise fees, change calculations for THC thresholds

The state’s proposal would double the per-acre cost for farmers and change the way the psychoactive element of hemp is measured.
Published
December 16, 2019

Maine hemp farmers fear proposed rule change could cost them their crop

Under the proposed standards, 27% of Mainers farming hemp in 2019 would have tested ‘hot’ for exceeding allowable THC levels in their plants.
Published
December 16, 2019

Kennebunk facility is 1st to seek license for testing recreational pot in Maine

Nelson Analytical applies for certification from the Maine CDC, a first step toward applying to the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy.
Published
December 8, 2019

Southern cooking basics, for outsiders and wistful ex-pats

The collection of pantry-building tips and foundational master recipes in ‘Southern From Scratch’ will teach you what your nannie or meemaw would have, if you’d had one.