On Wednesday, April 26, many of our friends in Boothbay Harbor listened to an expert explain how the new law legalizing recreational pot sales might affect our communities.

To paraphrase a statement from the winner of the latest presidential election, “Who knew that selling dope could be so complicated? Who knew?”

For example, what should we do about recreational marijuana use, medical marijuana use, and caregivers? What about marijuana social clubs, growing clubs, marijuana food products, security, lighting, parking, location, interaction with neighbors. What about a “B and Bud” hostelry?

What should the police do? They know what to do when they suspect a driver has had a snoot full of booze. But what will the police use to detect a driver under the influence of marijuana?

And, what are the potential health consequences? We are in the midst of an epidemic of opioid addiction that last year took more lives than car crashes did. And, by the way, booze is legal, controlled by the state, and we all know how it has ruined families, crippled workplaces and killed thousands. Health effects do deserve consideration.

Our local town select boards and planning boards are taking their time to study the question, and have pledged to take any new municipal pot regulation ordinance to the voters next November. We applaud them for their diligence.

As for the Maine legislature, no one knows what they will do on ordinary measures, much less this topic.

Yes, legal marijuana is a whale of a lot more complicated than playing “Jefferson Airplane” on your sound machine, rummaging through your clothes closet to find an old tie-dyed T-shirt, and kicking back with your old college pals for an evening of mellow conversation and munchies.

There is big money involved and lots of it.

The Tax Foundation, an independent research group focusing on federal and state tax policy, estimates a mature American marijuana industry could generate $28 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.

As reported in Fortune magazine, Colorado, the first state to legalize pot, imposes a 2.9 percent sales tax plus a 10 percent special pot sales tax.

Last year, Colorado saw $1.13 billion in marijuana sales. In the first 10 months of 2016, the state collected $150 million in taxes including $50 million in special sales taxes. State law provides that the first $40 million goes into special education accounts. Serious money.

A trip around the internet reveals studies that say that one-fifth of all Maine citizens already use marijuana. That is a huge market that might provide a substantial boost in new tax revenue streams for education, local, and state governments.

Boothbay has two men who propose to open a marijuana shop. They have invested lots of time researching the new law and believe they can provide a useful service. They have outlined their proposal to the Boothbay Planning Board which is considering a local marijuana regulatory ordinance to bring before the voters.

But, their operation does not involve “real money.” They are little guys.

As their project moves forward, and our officials take baby steps towards regulating recreational use, we will all find out that there are lots of well-heeled sharks circling around the national and Maine pot industry just waiting to make a killing.

Do you think some of our political friends might be tempted to help out the big money pot investors?

The other day, we learned of a big money play in Indiana, which has not legalized marijuana. It seems a high-powered investment group is quietly trying to get a piece of the legal pot market.

Would you believe that the investors in the group include the former Democrat Party chairman who served as President Obama’s state campaign chair, and the former state Republican Party chairman who served as the local chair of the Trump presidential campaign? Also included are the former Democrat Speaker of the House and a former GOP House Speaker along with lobbyists associated with liquor and gambling interests. Good old boys all.

In cases like this, political historians like to point to George Washington Plunkitt, the New York City Tammany Hall boss who said: “I seen my opportunities and I took ’em.”

Friends, recreational pot is a complex and dangerous topic. I hope our legislators and local officials take their time and sift through the fog of information, disinformation, opinion disguised as facts, and out and out lies that are being peddled by pro and anti-marijuana advocates.

I hope our local officials will look to other jurisdictions to learn from their mistakes and successes.

Most of all, I hope their actions will be fully transparent.