Pubdate: Thu, 21 May 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

PUBLIC INVITED TO WEIGH IN ON FIRST DRAFT OF ALASKA MARIJUANA REGULATIONS

The public can now weigh in on Alaska's first round of proposed 
marijuana regulations.

Local option law and marijuana definitions are the focus of the first 
wave of regulations, unveiled at the Alcoholic Beverage Control 
Board's meeting in April.

The proposed definitions include basics like what constitutes a 
"marijuana plant" and "edible marijuana product," but also what it 
means to "possess" a plant or help someone grow marijuana.

The definition of possession could affect how many plants are allowed 
per household. Under Ballot Measure 2, the initiative that legalized 
marijuana in the state, a person is allowed to possess six marijuana 
plants. But under the proposed regulations, if marijuana plants are 
in a person's home, they are potentially in that person's possession, 
regardless of the number of residents. That would mean only six 
plants would be allowed in the home, instead of six plants per adult 
living there.

The proposed marijuana local option regulations look largely the same 
as the laws already on the books for alcohol, with one major 
difference: Marijuana possession in the home cannot be outlawed the 
way alcohol can. That's due to a 1975 Alaska Supreme Court case, 
Ravin v. State, that protects the right to privacy when in possession 
of a small amount of marijuana in one's home.

A community could prohibit one or more types of marijuana 
establishments -- if a town wanted to ban commercial grows but allow 
retail stores, it could do so. Communities could also establish 
government-run marijuana establishments.

The public can submit comments until 4:30 p.m. June 20. The 
regulations are available for review on the state's public notice website.

A second set of regulations will be available for public comment 
after the ABC Board's July meeting.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom