Your source for Alaska cannabis

When Alaskan lawmakers clarified the definition of “in public” regarding marijuana consumption, they worded it to exclude facilities with endorsements for on-premises consumption. In February 2017, the social cannabis clubs seemed to have a falling out with industry regulators. To clarify what “in public” means in regard to marijuana, Alaska Lieutenant Governor Bryon Mallott filed an emergency regulation that would define the word:

• Highways and (presumably) public roads
• Public transportation centers, such as a bus station or airport
• Schools, all the way from preschool to college
• Parks
• Playgrounds
• Prisons or other correctional facilities
• Businesses of amusement
• The parts of an apartment complex or hotel that are not private rooms or residences, such as the hallway or lobby.
• Within 500 feet of any youth or recreation center

Additionally, medical cardholders are forbidden from using marijuana in any way that may cause harm or endanger other people.

Recreational consumers are not permitted to consume marijuana “in public.”

Alaska requires any individual wanting to work within a dispensary, cultivation facility, or product manufacturer to first complete a certification course, offered by six different companies across the state. After completing the training course, those wishing to work in the marijuana industry in Alaska must submit an application containing proof of identity, address, fingerprints, and a $50 application fee.

Any applicant who has had a previous felony, criminal conviction, or a misdemeanor drug charge will be denied.

Alaska does not establish protections for employees who use marijuana; however, employers are generally only required to be concerned with drug use that impacts performance. Employers get to set the rules of their business and cardholders or recreational consumers are subject to those policies. Punishment is typically reserved for on-the-job impairment.

Delivery from a dispensary to an individual person is illegal. Delivery of marijuana or marijuana-infused products is only permitted from a licensed producer or cultivator to a retail facility.

Due to Federal regulations regarding illegal substances, where marijuana remains as a Schedule I narcotic, banking institutions and card services are often hesitant to get involved with the marijuana industry. As a result, dispensaries do all sales in cash.