Pubdate: Mon, 23 Feb 2015
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)
Copyright: 2015 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764
Authors: Tim Hinterberger and Bruce Schulte
Note: Tim Hinterberger is a co-sponsor of the voter initiative and 
chair of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol. Bruce 
Schulte is a spokesman for the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis 
Legislation, an Alaska-based non-profit advocating for sensible 
marijuana laws and a legitimate marijuana industry.

CELEBRATE POT LEGALIZATION RESPONSIBLY

Ballot Measure 2 will become effective tomorrow, Feb. 24, and many 
Alaskans are wondering what will change on that date. The simple 
answer is: Everything, and not much at all.

Beginning that day, it will be lawful for someone 21 or older to 
possess up to one ounce of marijuana. Those with a green thumb may 
legally grow no more than six marijuana plants (only three of them 
mature at any time) in their homes.

Generous Alaskans may gift, without payment, up to one ounce of 
marijuana to someone 21 or older and give them as many as six 
immature marijuana plants. Private consumption will be completely 
legal for those 21 and older.

For adults, personal cultivation, possession and consumption will be 
lawful within certain limits, in private, as long as no money changes 
hands. For those who have been consuming for years, this may not seem 
significant, but from a legal perspective it represents a huge shift.

So, what doesn't change on Feb. 24? Everything else. Don't expect 
retail marijuana stores to pop up next to your favorite pizza place 
for at least one more year. Commercial marijuana businesses - whether 
they are planning to grow, process, bake or sell marijuana products - 
won't be able to legally operate until spring or summer of 2016.

Some folks have asked why it's taking so long. We voted for this, so 
why isn't it happening?

The answer is, it is happening. Since January, our Legislature has 
been working to bring existing criminal statutes into line with the 
voter initiative.

Feb. 24 marks the beginning of a nine-month rule-making process 
during which the regulations under which marijuana businesses will 
operate will be developed and refined.

Under the provisions of the voter initiative, the state is expected 
to begin accepting applications for operating permits by February 
2016 - a full year from now. This timeline was clearly defined in the 
voter initiative and, so far, the process is on schedule.

There's an important aspect of all of this that is obvious yet 
sometimes overlooked: While a clear majority of voters approved 
Ballot Measure 2 (it got more votes than Gov. Bill Walker, Sen. 
Sullivan, or Rep. Young) many of those who voted against it had 
legitimate concerns, and those concerns merit continued respect and 
consideration from marijuana users and advocates.

On Feb. 24, there will be an understandable desire on the part of 
enthusiastic supporters to celebrate the occasion.

As individuals prominently involved in the ongoing discussions with 
legislators, we simply ask you to go ahead and celebrate - but do so 
responsibly.

As with alcohol, there's an appropriate time, place and manner to 
consume marijuana, and the worst thing that could happen right now is 
for a handful of overzealous folks to spoil things by making a public 
spectacle out of marijuana consumption.

So, please be respectful of your fellow Alaskans, don't drive under 
the influence, and don't do anything to give your neighbors reason to 
feel uneasy about this new law.

We're in the midst of an enormous social and legal shift. Please do 
your part to make it as successful as possible by consuming responsibly.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom