Boards and task forces across the state are being created to regulate the newly implemented marijuana law.
The House Judiciary Committee discussed the bill establishing the marijuana control board yesterday.
The new version of House Bill 123 states the industry representatives can be marijuana advocates or those who have investigated the academic side of marijuana. A prior version would have had members from the alcohol industry stand in on the board.
Alaska’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board staff would still participate on the five-member marijuana board.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough also created it’s own Marijuana Task Force at the March 17 meeting.
Homer Assembly Member Kelly Cooper brought forward the resolution.
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.”
That local task force will be comprised of 11 members: two assembly members, three knowledgeable public members, one law enforcement member, mayoral staff, and four appointees nominated by those.