The Kenai City Council met on Thursday, Oct. 4, to discuss the topic of marijuana drive-throughs.
According to the ordinance, this would intend to prohibit licensed retail marijuana establishments from serving customers through a walk-up or drive through setting.
Council member Henry Knackstedt supported to prohibit the use of drive through dispensaries, saying that containing the drug is the right thing to do.
“I definitely support this ordinance I think keeping the establishments within the walls is appropriate and this takes it out through a window and I’m not sure what the state’s going to do next. I think containing it is is the right thing to do, so I will support this,” said Knackstedt.
Council member Teaa Winger agreed with Knackstedt. Winger talked about how Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom signed a new regulation, which allowed the the state’s legal marijuana businesses to distribute free samples of marijuana, a reference that was discussed during the KSRM forum.
“I don’t feel that we have an accessibility issue and this would just open up a lot of loopholes that we really shouldn’t be addressing. I mean, one of my biggest concern is, how are they gonna ID the other passengers in the car. How do they control that,” said Winger.
Council woman Deborah Sounart also agreed with her fellow council members, sharing that it could be very harmful for people, especially if they were allowed to consume their purchase on site.
“I could just imagine somebody walking up to a window, purchasing, turning around, taking five steps and consuming it and then trying to walk away ..I have a hard enough time walking on snow and ice in a normal state of mind,” said Sounart.
After discussion, all six members voted, and all six were in favor to prohibit the drive through service.