Pubdate: Tue, 31 Mar 2015
Source: Alaska Dispatch News (AK)
Copyright: 2015 Alaska Dispatch Publishing
Contact:  http://www.adn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18
Note: Anchorage Daily News until July '14
Author: Laurel Andrews

ALASKA SENATE PASSES MARIJUANA CRIME BILL, SHOOTS DOWN CONCENTRATE BAN

After lengthy debate Monday, the Alaska Senate shot down an amendment 
that would have made marijuana concentrates illegal in two years and 
passed a marijuana crime bill along to the House.

The bill, SB 30, passed the Senate by a vote of 17-3. The bill 
addresses marijuana and Alaska's criminal statutes, and was 
introduced as part of the response to the voter initiative approved 
in November that legalized recreational use of marijuana in Alaska.

The bill has changed substantially as it has made its way through the 
Senate. The version passed Monday afternoon was crafted in the Senate 
Finance Committee. Voting against the bill were three Anchorage 
Democrats: Sens. Bill Wielechowski and Johnny Ellis and Senate 
Minority Leader Berta Gardner.

Among other aspects, the bill continues to list marijuana as a 
controlled substance under state law. Possession of 16 ounces or more 
or 25 plants would be a felony in the current version of the bill. 
Giving marijuana to a person under 21 would be a misdemeanor. The 
bill defines an open marijuana container and sets up penalties 
regarding open containers of marijuana in a vehicle.

The bill also bans marijuana businesses in the unorganized borough. 
Should a community in the unorganized borough want to establish a 
marijuana business, the town would need to opt back in. Large swaths 
of land in Alaska, mostly off the road system, are in the unorganized 
borough, where roughly 81,000 Alaskans lived as of 2008.

After lengthy debate, an amendment introduced by Sen. Pete Kelly, 
R-Fairbanks, that would have made marijuana concentrates illegal in 
two years was shot down 14-6. Voting in favor of the ban were Sens. 
John Coghill, R-North Pole, Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, Donny Olson, 
D-Golovin, Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla, and Kelly.

In support of his amendment, Kelly spoke at length about marijuana 
concentrates. Kelly said voters were not aware that they were voting 
to legalize marijuana concentrates when they approved legalization in 
November. Voters "wanted the leafy stuff," Kelly said, not hash oil, 
edibles or other types of concentrates.

Kelly cited Colorado's experience with concentrates, saying problems 
were mostly due to marijuana edibles. He gave a hypothetical example 
of going over to "weird uncle Eddie's house," where a marijuana 
cookie would be left out, and a child would eat the cookie.

"It is not a stretch to say that (children) will die" thanks to 
marijuana concentrates, Kelly said.

Numerous legislators weighed in during the debate over the amendment. 
Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, noted that marijuana concentrates were 
the subject of at least 40 news articles leading into the election, 
and that numerous public hearings had been held, many of which 
"devolved" into conversations about concentrates. Mia Costello, 
R-Anchorage, argued that regulation was the best way to keep products 
safe and protect children.

Two other amendments, one introduced by Wielechowski and a second by 
Gardner, were also voted down. The bill now heads to the House for 
consideration.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom