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ALASKA LAWMAKERS AMEND MARIJUANA CRIMES BILL

JUNEAU, Alaska ( AP ) - The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday amended a bill that would update state laws following the legalization of recreational use of marijuana in Alaska.

Some of the amendments were technical in nature.  Others addressed issues raised by state officials and the public in past hearings, including adjusting open container laws and limiting concentrate purchases by transaction, rather than by day.

Lawmakers also added a section that would give regulators some enforcement authority over marijuana businesses in response to a concern raised by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board Executive Director Cynthia Franklin.

Earlier this week, the committee introduced a draft of the crimes bill that used a new approach to legalize recreational marijuana and update state laws.

Another change would allow emergency services personnel younger than 21 to enter a marijuana business if services are needed there.  The committee also discussed other underage employees, such as plumbers, who might need to go to a marijuana business for work; Sen.  Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks, said he would work on a change that could allow that.

Other amendments made it clear that marijuana could not be delivered to a person's home for sale and would give the court system the option of diverting minors to a community panel, rather than going through the court system, for certain marijuana offenses.  Alaska Court System representative Nancy Meade said the courts welcomed the option and could implement it.  That's already allowed for other offenses committed by minors.

The committee also postponed a decision on one amendment, which would change the bill so that crimes associated with marijuana possession were based on the usable amount of the plant, not its total weight.

Committee co-chair Anna MacKinnon, R-Eagle River, said more amendments would be considered Friday, including one regarding local control over marijuana businesses.