One Maine marijuana entrepreneur, however, told NBC News that he quit his job and moved back to his home state with the expectation that Maine would provide licenses in a timely fashion after voters elected to legalize cannabis. That has not been the case, and he and his partners have sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into a potential enterprise that remains paralyzed.

Law enforcement oversight has slackened for cannabis, which has put entrepreneurs in a position to sell via this gray market — or even the profitable black market across state lines.

“Enterprising growers are trying to move their product because the risk is relatively low,” said the Maine businessman, who wished to remain anonymous because he fears legal and financial ramifications for his investment in the marijuana industry. “It’s actually quite easy to abuse the current system to sell cannabis in the current black market.”