Sixty-eight applications for commercial marijuana businesses were initiated online Wednesday, the first day entrepreneurs could begin the licensing process.
The previous evening, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly adopted regulations regarding violations and enforcement for commercial cannabis licenses.
Borough Chief of Staff Paul Ostrander says the structure that the ordinance put in place for commercial marijuana license applications is very similar to how the borough treats alcohol license applications.
Ostrander: “The Planning Commission and the Assembly will both have a public hearing for these license applications and during that process they’ll make sure that these establishments will meet the conditions that were outlined by the Borough. They’ll also listen to public testimony and if there are concerns that the public addresses during that that may violate some of the standards that are set in this ordinance, the assembly can apply additional conditions beyond those listed conditions.”
The state anticipates it will begin reviewing the applications that were submitted this week sometime in March. Thereafter, local governments will have the opportunity to decline or approve applicants.
The Marijuana Control Board says there is no limit to the number of licenses that will be issued and no deadline to apply. Applications will be reviewed by the board at their regularly scheduled meetings year-round.
As we’ve previously reported, commercial marijuana establishments will not be seen until this fall.
The board plans to approve testing and cultivation facility licenses in June first, followed by product manufacturing and retail store licenses.