Pubdate: Thu, 26 Feb 2015
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)
Copyright: 2015 Associated Press
Contact:  http://newsminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764

ALASKA LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE PROPOSAL FOR COMMERCIAL MARIJUANA

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska lawmakers have presented a preliminary 
plan for regulating a new commercial marijuana industry.

The Senate Judiciary Committee introduced a bill Wednesday that 
details components of a commercial marijuana industry, including 
taxes, licensing and regulations.

Personal possession, transportation and growth of certain quantities 
of marijuana became legal for adults 21 and older in Alaska on 
Tuesday, and the state now has nine months to draft rules for the industry.

The bill details the types of marijuana-related business licenses 
that would be available, specifies that they can only be granted to 
Alaska residents and includes ways for communities to control local 
licensing decisions. Criminal background checks and fingerprinting 
would also be required for would-be licensees.

"Our responsibility is to prioritize public safety and align our 
criminal statutes," said Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole, in a news release.

The bill also would limit the potency of edible marijuana products, 
require child-proof containers and require that advertising and 
packaging not entice children.

Chad Hutchison, an aide to Coghill, who is vice-chair of the 
judiciary committee, said that in addition to providing the licensing 
structure, the committee was focused on keeping marijuana away from youth.

The bill would task a new marijuana board or the existing alcohol 
board with accepting and vetting license applications. Communities 
could also choose to take on those duties, Hutchison said.

Other decisions about the licenses, including whether they have an 
economic value and how many are available, would be left to the board 
or communities.

In a memo released Wednesday, the pot-legalization initiative's 
sponsors wrote that they appreciated parts of the new bill that 
incorporated their previous input. But they said they are concerned 
about several elements, including the wording of legal protections 
for marijuana establishments and their staffs, increased permit fees 
and the board's ability to rescind licenses.

Hutchison said the committee anticipates that it will take more than 
one draft of the bill to get all of the language and details figured out.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom