Pubdate: Sun, 16 Nov 2014
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)
Copyright: 2014 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764

PLANNING AHEAD FOR POT RULES: STATE, MUNICIPALITIES SHOULD WORK TO 
DRAW UP SENSIBLE MARIJUANA REGULATIONS

The passage of Ballot Measure 2, legalizing marijuana possession, use 
and sale is now a mathematical certainty.

In fact, as first noted by a Daily News-Miner reader, the measure 
received more affirmative votes than any statewide candidate, though 
it was outperformed by the other two statewide ballot measures.

While a 53 percent to 47 percent result isn't a landslide, the will 
of Alaskans is clear.

With that in mind, state and local officials should work diligently 
during the next several months in studying the marijuana issue and 
drafting a sensible framework of regulations that will help the state 
derive maximum benefit and do all it can to avoid the pitfalls 
associated with legalization.

Under the ballot measure, the Legislature has the ability to create a 
Marijuana Control Board similar to the Alcoholic Beverage Control 
Board already in place for alcohol.

Should they not choose to set up a marijuana-specific board, duties 
of regulation will fall to the ABC Board. The Legislature would be 
wise to seize the option of creating a separate entity for marijuana 
regulation - the task of regulating alcohol in Alaska is a big enough 
job on its own. And given that recent data show 16.29 percent of 
Alaskans already use marijuana despite it being illegal - the highest 
such rate in the nation - it's a safe bet that the Marijuana Control 
Board will have plenty to occupy its time as well.

Action by the state, both through the Legislature and whichever board 
ends up with regulatory authority, will make a big difference in the 
impact of legalization on Alaskans. In Colorado, loose rules 
governing commercial marijuana - particularly edibles, where it can 
be significantly harder to gauge quantities of THC ingested - led to 
overindulging on the part of unwitting consumers and subsequent 
hospital visits.

Additionally, lax regulation of product packaging led to marijuana 
candies and other edibles being packaged in a manner that made them 
look not only attractive to children but also in some cases 
deceptively similar to marijuana-free foods and candies.

These are mistakes that should be avoided in Alaska through proper 
rules about labeling.

So far, many legislators have been coy about their plans with regard 
to legislation that would fill in the blanks with regard to 
commercial marijuana.

But some are stepping forward - and that's a good thing.

Rep. Bob Lynn of Anchorage already has announced the pre-filing of a 
bill that would introduce restrictions on where marijuana retailers 
can operate (not close to schools) and who they can employ (not 
felons). Is Rep. Lynn's bill the perfect bill or the only bill needed 
to address retail sales of marijuana?

Certainly not. But it's the beginning of a conversation that 
legislators must have among themselves, with the regulatory board, 
and with Alaskans about how commercial sales of marijuana should work here.

Local governments can and should also play a part. As municipal 
governments like the Fairbanks North Star Borough are in charge of 
business zoning, the Borough Assembly should listen to its citizens 
about how and where marijuana retailers should be located.

Local governments will also have the ability to ban commercial 
marijuana sales within their borders.

In the city of Fairbanks and the borough, where legalization was even 
more popular than in the rest of the state, a ban wouldn't jibe well 
with the will of the voters.

But in North Pole, where a majority of voters opposed legalization, a 
ban on retail sales is worth debate.

Fortunately, the state and municipalities have some time - nine 
months from the certification of the Nov. 4 election.

But that doesn't mean there's time for foot-dragging or indecision. 
State and local officials should work diligently to draft 
common-sense regulations to ensure that come late September 2015, 
when the regulatory framework for commercial marijuana is due, we'll be ready.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom