AUGUSTA — For the second straight three-month period in the campaign to legalize marijuana in Maine, one group pushing for legalization got almost all of its money from a national backer, while its rival relied on a smaller pool of in-state money.

The latest totals for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol and Legalize Maine, contained in Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices filings released by the groups on Wednesday, are similar to their hauls in the first three months of 2015. Both groups are trying to convince Maine voters to legalize marijuana by referendum in 2016.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol raised $53,000 in 2015’s second quarter with $50,000 coming from the Marijuana Policy Project, a national group that has led legalization efforts in other states. In total, the Maine group has raised $104,000 in cash with $48,000 left as of June 30, but $100,000 of its total is from the policy project, along with $81,000 more in contributed services or goods.

Legalize Maine, backed by Maine medical marijuana advocates, raised $25,000, bringing its total to $56,000 with $12,000 left as of June 30.

Lucas Sirois, of Rangeley, a Legalize Maine board member, has been its biggest backer so far. His businesses have contributed $17,500 to the effort, with Spruce Valley LLC, a network of medical marijuana caregivers, giving $10,000 in the second quarter.

The groups’ plans differ in many ways. For example, Legalize Maine would allow adults 21 and older to possess unlimited quantities of marijuana in their homes and carry up to 2.5 ounces in public, taxing marijuana at 8 percent. Marijuana Policy Project’s plan would limit public possession to 1 ounce of marijuana and six plants in homes and would add a 10 percent tax on top of Maine’s 5.5 percent sales tax.

David Boyer, the campaign manager for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol effort, said he expects in-state fundraising to increase as the election gets closer.

“We’ll definitely ramp that up and get people invested at a higher level in-state,” he said. “But even small-dollar donations, they get people invested.”

Paul McCarrier, Legalize Maine’s president, said despite the fundraising gap, the group is mounting a strong signature-gathering effort. Both parties started that effort earlier this year.

Michael Shepherd can be contacted at 370-7652 or at:

mshepherd@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @mikeshepherdme;

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