Seacoast Stories
Episode · Apr 20, 2026 · 77 min

How East Coast Cannabis Blazed the Way for Recreational Marijuana in Maine. Plus, the Green Mile & When Will N.H. Legalize?

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If you enjoy cannabis, then you owe a debt of gratitude to Dana Brearley.

Why? Because Brearley, along with his co-founder, James Folan, spent YEARS lobbying at the state house in Maine, running a medical marijuana company (Arcana), and learning all of the ins and outs of the business, all of which helped to pave the way for the legalization of recreational cannabis in Maine in 2016.

Now, the two best friends own East Coast Cannabis. They opened their flagship shop in Eliot, Maine, in 2020 - the first recreational cannabis store south of Portland. Since then, business has EXPLODED, and they now own two more locations in Waterville and Lebanon, Maine.

On today's special 4/20 edition of the episode, Brearley joins host Troy Farkas to discuss his path from payroll to plants, the numerous medical benefits of cannabis and how it "changes people's lives," the long fight to legalize recreational cannabis in Maine, how ECC became the Seacoast's most recognizable cannabis brand, and more.

Plus, why hasn't New Hampshire legalized it yet?

To learn more about ECC's offerings, visit ECCannabis.com.

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

SS Live at Stone Church! (00:00)Dana's introduction to cannabis (01:20)Working in the medicinal marijuana scene (10:00)Lobbying to get recreational legalized (20:55)SPONSOR: Studioh! Salon (22:55)BTS of building ECC after Maine legalized recreational (24:38)Why Meta keeps taking down ECC's social media accounts (46:42)Expanding to three stores (50:45)SPONSORS: Brass Tacks Photography & Budget Blinds of the Seacoast (54:35)When will N.H. legalize? (57:38)Inside the shopping experience at ECC (01:06:20)SPONSORS:

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