As the Marijuana Control Board is working on regulations for on-site consumption in Alaska, Kenai’s Green Rush Events is battling to prove that they are a legal operation.
Chris Reynolds with Green Rush says on Tuesday the Kenai pot club received a letter from Kenai’s City Planner…
Reynolds: “He claims that we are in violation of the zoning ordinance and I explained that we are not. Social clubs are not within the definition of the commercial marijuana establishment.”
The letter advised the business to become compliant with city regulations that mandate marijuana establishments be more than 500 feet from churches and recreation youth centers. Green Rush is within that distance from a church and little league fields, which are considered youth facilities.
Kenai City Attorney Scott Bloom says shortly after the letter was sent out, further research revealed it was inaccurate.
Bloom: “We recognized that our own ordinances don’t apply to Green Rush Events because it is not defined as an actual marijuana establishment. A marijuana establishment in the city’s ordinances apply to legally licensed marijuana operations and because a marijuana club is not a legally licensed business of Alaska, based on our understanding of state statutes, our zoning laws don’t apply to it.”
Bloom says the club is still illegal however because it is not compliant with the city’s moratorium on on-site consumption, which would include clubs.
Bloom: “On of the specific reasons for the moratorium is to figure out if the state is going to regulate them or not, and whether it’s something that the city wanted.”
When asked what the club is doing to become compliant with the city’s moratorium on consumption in businesses, Reynolds says Green Rush is working to have the one-year ban reversed by the city council.