2015 has been a year of developments for Alaska in the legalized marijuana realm and now the state’s Marijuana Control Board is preparing to accept commercial cannabis applications in February of 2016.
Alaskan voters legalized marijuana in November of 2014 by a 53.23% YES, 46.77% NO.
Emergency regulations were implemented by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on February 24, the day recreational cannabis was permitted for those 21 and over, but some definitions were still foggy.
Soldotna held multiple meetings to determine what “in public” would be defined as inside city limits, determining where cannabis cannot be smoked according to the ballot measure which legalized pot.
Soldotna Police Chief Peter Mlynarik says his officers had a pretty good handle on where is and isn’t public.
Chief Mlynarik: “You have to look at every one on its own merits and see if you would consider that public or not, knowing that if you do cite someone they have the right to defend themselves and you have to make sure that the enforcement action you take is going to be proper. You have to look at it and see all the circumstances involved.”
What is Public? Marijuana Work Session Explores
Ultimately the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board issued a clearer definition of “in public” in June.
Borough Assembly Member Kelly Cooper of Homer decided early on that while a state marijuana entity had not been created yet the Kenai Peninsula Borough needed to be monitoring the developments of regulations.
Cooper: “I look at us not having a task force in place to monitor the state’s progress to not looking at the voter pamphlet until election day. There are so many things that we have to address and prepare or and when we look at waiting until what the state comes up with, the referendum has timelines and deadlines and they’re asking us on testimony throughout their progress so I think it’s critical we have this task force because I know not one of us has read every document that has to do with this law.”
State Marijuana Board Heard and Held, KPB Task Force Created
That task force was created in June and comprised of 11 members: two assembly members, three knowledgeable public members, one law enforcement member, mayoral staff, and four appointees nominated by those.
KPB Marijuana Task Force Members Selected
On July 1, Governor Bill Walker announced his appointments to the state’s Marijuana Control Board, including Soldotna Police Chief Mlynarik.
Governor Walker’s Marijuana Control Board Appointments Announced
While many municipalities waited for that state board to finalize commercial marijuana regulations, local cannabis advocates sought help from other states which have also legalized cannabis sales.
Alaska Green Resources skyped with marijuana advocate Aidin Pen of Washington over the summer. AGR member and Kenai Peninsula Borough Maijuana Task Force Member Dolly Phelps spoke about some of Pen’s suggestions.
Phelps: “It would be difficult for a small time grower to compete with the hundred thousand square foot facilities and what’s happening in Washington is a lot of outside money has been able to come in and here in Alaska we want to try to protect our industry that we’re fighting so hard to get to begin with and this is one of the ways that we can do that. To limit the garden sizes will make it unappealing for outside interests to come here, you know some will.”
Alaska Green Resources Gets Tips From Washington
Marijuana Control Board members released regulations on commercial establishments on November 20; those included the rejection of a THC limit in consumables and an amendment to allow on-site consumption.
Springer: “Mr Emmett? Yes. Mr Schulte? Yes. I vote yes. YES!”
Alaska will become the first state in the nation to allow marijuana bars after the Marijuana Control Board voted Friday to allow customers to sample the products they’re buying before leaving a store.
Pot Bars Allowed, Not Clubs
Soon after those commercial marijuana regulations were released, the Soldotna City Council passed a moratorium on cannabusinesses until 2018.
Newly appointed council member Tim Cashman voted yes on the ordinance, citing that Soldotna residents voted no on Ballot Proposition 2 in 2014.
Cashman: “My feeling on the council is they really, it is a wait and see, and they want to see how it’s affecting other communities and see whether it’s a fit for Soldotna or not.”
Soldotna Council Bans Commercial Marijuana in City for 2 Years
That decision was met with criticism from the public, who say Soldotna will miss out on a new source of revenue when local marijuana businesses decide to start in Kenai because of the moratorium.
The City of Kenai is working to finalize its commercial marijuana zoning and regulations.
Kenai Deciphering Commercial Marijuana Buffer Regulations
At a recent work session, city council members recommended allowing on-site consumption for marijuana businesses and allowing those to be in multi-use buildings.
Kenai Discusses On-Site Cannabis Consumption
Commerical marijuana in Alaska and other legalized states still has hurdles to overcome, such as federal laws that regulate banking.
Alaska’s junior U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan says he is working to minimize the discrepancies between federal and state laws pertaining to marijuana.
U.S. Sen. Sullivan: “It’s not 100% clear where we would have to change federal laws to enable states that have chosen to do what Alaska did, like Oregon, like Colorado, to move forward. So we are working with the federal agencies, we are working with the state of Alaska, we’re working with some of the other states, I’m working with some of the other senators on first understanding what the exact issues are and how to address them. It is complex, like I said.”
Sen. Sullivan Investigating Complexities of Legalized Marijuana