Pubdate: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK) Copyright: 2014 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc. Contact: http://newsminer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764 Author: Matt Buxton GOVERNOR: NO DELAY EXPECTED IN ALASKA POT REGULATIONS FAIRBANKS - Two weeks after Gov. Bill Walker said he was considering extending the rule making period for commercial marijuana sales, the governor said he plans for regulations to be issued on time. After meeting with the state agencies that are expected to tackle the regulations, Walker said that he's confident the state can meet the statutory deadlines set in Ballot Measure 2. "We have strong, cooperative leadership heading up implementation of this very important act," Walker said in a statement. "They assured me that we can meet the statutory and regulatory timelines outlined in the initiative that voters passed in November. I'm confident that we will be diligent in our efforts to make sure we have adequate regulations for this new industry in place and on time." Ballot Measure 2, which passed by a wide margin throughout the Fairbanks North Star Borough, decriminalizes the possession, use and non-sale transfer of one ounce of marijuana once the law takes effect on Feb. 24, 2015. It also set in motion the legalization and permitting of legal pot sales, which was the process Walker discussed extending at a Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce luncheon earlier this month. The regulations are currently under the guidance of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board unless the Alaska Legislature opts to create a marijuana control board. In the statement, Walker said the state will have regulations adopted by Nov. 24, 2015, and begin accepting applications for licenses by Feb. 24, 2016, in line with Ballot Measure 2. Under that timeline, licenses would be issued in May 2016. The announcement was good news to people who backed the initiative. Bruce Schulte, the spokesman for the Alaska-based Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Legislation, said it's a good move that hopefully will allow the marijuana industry to find success. "We recognize it's going to be a lot of work but a lot of people are going to be involved. We hope that everyone involved is working for a successful pot industry," he said. "There are challenges and opportunities built into this process and what we've been seeing is as more elected officials they're not seeing just the challenges but the opportunities as well." Additional information on the state's regulations, including a helpful FAQ and to sign up to be notified of any state developments, visit the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board's website at http://commerce.state.ak.us/dnn/abc. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom