Today: Alaska city opens marijuana regulations for public comment
Published: Feb 26, 2018, 12:10 pm • Updated: Feb 26, 2018, 12:10 pm
By The Associated Press
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Banning onsite marijuana consumption and limiting the number of pot retail stores are just two of the proposed ordinances in Fairbanks.
The proposal adds six new pages of Fairbanks General Code dealing with marijuana establishments and licensing, and is up for second reading, public comment and a likely vote at Monday’s council meeting, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported.
The number of retail stores will be capped at 12, and onsite consumption will be outlawed, regardless of state law, if the ordinance passes.
Related stories
- Alaska bill legalizing industrial hemp awaits governor’s pen
- Op-ed: Alaska bill sealing marijuana possession convictions should be voted down
- One month after Sessions marijuana memo, where do U.S. attorneys stand on legal weed?
- Marijuana sales in Alaska drop for second month in a row
- Alaska marijuana testing facilities to be audited after “significant deviation” in potency results
Fairbanks currently has five operating licensed retail stores. Four licenses have been considered by the council and are waiting on a certificate of occupancy before opening. One licensee is appealing a decision by the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office.
The limit of 12 retail stores was not chosen for any particular reason, Fairbanks Mayor Jim Matherly said.
It is unclear what will happen to the remaining applicants that haven’t reached local government if the council approves the 12-store limit. Fairbanks City Clerk Danyielle Sinder’s interpretation, based on ordinance language, is that no more will be allowed.
“The council hasn’t really addressed that yet,” she said. “I think the council has some work left to do.”
Alaska statute limits the number of alcohol licenses based on population, but Fairbanks has many times the allowable number because of grandfather rights.
Related: Alaska voters reject local bans on legalized marijuana by wide margins
Information from: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Topics: Alaska, Alaska Marijuana Control Board, Fairbanks, marijuana regulation, regulations
