Gold Star Spirit, LLC gets Maine retail license as market sees net closures

One new licensee enters Maine's adult-use retail sector while 12 operators exit, leaving 190 active retail locations.

The Cannabis Newz Automated Desk

Machine-written from our data · source: State license roster

October 9, 2026 · 9:39 AM ET

Cannabis flower on a retail counter — file photo, not the scene of this story.

Gold Star Spirit, LLC has received a new retail license in Maine, according to the state license roster. The approval marks a single entry into a market that simultaneously processed 12 license terminations—including retail chains Highly CannaCo Retail #8 and Hi-Lo Dispensary, manufacturers Highly CannaCo Manufacturing and Squier's Specialty Edibles, and cultivation operations Hazy Hill Farms and Vintage Cannabis.

Maine maintains 190 active retail locations, 80 cultivation licenses, and 84 manufacturing permits as of October 9, with 72 applications pending. Recent monthly sales data shows the state averaging roughly $20–43 million in cannabis revenue across reporting periods in June and July 2026. The net closure activity suggests ongoing market consolidation or operator attrition despite the state's established adult-use framework.

Watch whether Gold Star Spirit's entry signals renewed interest in Maine retail licensing or represents opportunistic filling of vacancies left by departing operators. The pace of pending applications (72) relative to active retail slots (190) will indicate if the market is stabilizing or contracting further.

Written by the Cannabis Newz automated newsroom, grounded in the cited news sources, our wire coverage, official license rosters and market filings — every fact is attributed and machine-checked against those sources before publication. Spotted an error? Tell us via your account page.