NORTH POLE - We sit at the face of a paradigm shift in the state of Alaska, one that for many Alaskans is seen as a triumph of personal freedom and sovereignty. There is much truth in the declaration that we are at the commencement of something new for Alaska. However, that newness is not with marijuana or cannabis, it is with the concept of commercializing a substance and plant that previously was only allowed for personal use.

The Alaska Supreme Court's Ravin decision in 1975 determined the Alaska Constitution allowed for a person to own and use small amounts of cannabis, but that marijuana sale, manufacturing and distribution were prohibited. Ballot Measure 2, passed in 2014, permits the commercialization of cannabis and codifies the 2006 legislative action that reduced the permissible amount of personal possession from four ounces to one ounce.

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