Alaska

Tue
04
Jul

Alaska marijuana taxes top $1 million

Last Wednesday, Ben Wilcox ended his workday late: He had to. With the rain having let up in Juneau for one brief day, he took the opportunity to repaint the Franklin Street facade of what will be Juneau’s fourth marijuana shop.

That shop, which has yet to be named and is scheduled to open this fall, is a sign of the marijuana industry’s continued growth in Alaska. On Friday, the Alaska Department of Revenue offered some other signs.

The state of Alaska has now collected more than $1 million in marijuana tax revenue, and the pace of sales appears to be picking up.

Tue
23
May

The Tourist's Guide to Navigating Alaska's Legal Marijuana Market

Summer is here, and that means tourists are descending on the state in search of mountain viewing, whale sightings and, sometimes, marijuana.

This summer marks the state's first tourist season with marijuana shops up and running. For travelers heading to Alaska, here's what to expect, do and avoid.

What you can do 

Anyone 21 years or older can buy and carry up to an ounce of marijuana. You can give and receive up to an ounce for free.

But the state still has some places where marijuana is not allowed — like national parks and some private property.

The lowdown on retail shops 

Marijuana stores have opened in many Alaska communities, from Fairbanks to Sitka.

Thu
20
Apr

American High: State-by-State Guide to Legal Pot

While Congress has largely refused to roll back, or even debate, the federal prohibition on pot, local voters across the U.S. have cast ballots to end the war on marijuana. But the nation's patchwork of pot laws can be confusing – even in the states where it's allowed – so here's a blueprint of what you can and can't do in the eight states (plus D.C.) where weed's been legalized for recreational use.

Mon
17
Apr

Marijuana store expected to make history in downtown Talkeetna, Alaska

The first marijuana retail store in downtown Talkeetna plans to open next month just as summer crowds descend on this village at the base of Denali.

The High Expedition co-owner Joe McAneney says he and partner Dan Nelson plan to build an "active lifestyle brand" around Talkeetna's personality and the store's historic location: the log cabin that housed the guide service of Denali climbing pioneer Ray Genet.

The store is scheduled to open May 1, pending state inspection.

Mon
17
Apr

Alaska city officials seek to ban marijuana businesses

Officials in one Alaska city have taken steps to keep commercial marijuana out of Soldotna.

Soldotna City Council voted 4-2 Wednesday to direct city administrators to draft legislation that would ban marijuana establishments from operating within city limits, the Peninsula Clarion reported (http://bit.ly/2oH3qvt).

The council had previously placed a two-year suspension on pot businesses, which temporarily prohibited them until Jan. 1, 2018. With this vote, city administrators will start to draft legislation to ban them, present it to the Planning and Zoning Commission and have it go through the public process, Mayor Pete Sprague said.

Council members Lisa Parker and Tyson Cox voted against the measure.

Wed
05
Apr

Alaska Pot Regulators Poised to Resume Onsite Marijuana Use Debate

Alaska marijuana regulators will resume the on-again, off-again debate over onsite pot consumption in retail stores Wednesday amid a rejection of the concept from the state's top medical officer.

The Alaska Marijuana Control Board began mulling — and preparing for — onsite use of marijuana in 2015, following voter approval of recreational use of pot by those 21 and older.

Members peppered regulations with references to onsite use and worked on rules for how that would be carried out. The board veered away from the visions some had of Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes, instead proposing that retail stores cordon off separate rooms for onsite use.

Tue
04
Apr

4 Governors Ask Trump Admin to Chill out on Marijuana Enforcement

Governors in four states that have legalized marijuana in some form have written a letter to two Trump administration officials requesting they consult with states before making any changes to regulatory and enforcement systems for the drug.

The independent governor of Alaska joined the Democratic governors of Colorado, Oregon and Washington to write a letter to US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Monday, asking them to continue the Obama administration’s hands-off policy towards enforcing federal marijuana laws in states that have okayed medicinal or recreational use.

Wed
08
Mar

On-Site Marijuana Consumption in Alaska Is Back on the Table

The Alaska Marijuana Control Board met Tuesday afternoon in Anchorage, discussing everything from its on-again, off-again relationship with marijuana cafes to whether or not cultivators can keep rolling joints before delivering them to shops.

Here are the most important takeaways:

The board will try again to write rules for marijuana cafes.

The control board will try again to write rules for on-site consumption areas at marijuana retailers, a project that it shot down at its last meeting. 

Tue
07
Mar

Where to Find the Best Legal Cannabis Lounges

Cannabis is legal for medical patients in 29 states and all of Canada. It’s legal for all adults in eight of those states and in Washington, DC. But in most of those places, smoking, vaping, dabbing and even eating cannabis are illegal anywhere except private locations with the property owner’s permission.

Whether your product is medical or recreational, most Americans who seek to consume simply can’t, legally, from Washington state to Washington, DC.

Fortunately, some on-site consumption establishments have figured out ways to serve their customers without anyone serving time. Some are modest and homey, almost like stoner rumpus rooms. Others are sexier and closer to the Amsterdam ideal. Some are mobile. Others are arty. One might resemble a downscale dot-com.

Mon
06
Mar

What is CBD, and why it was seized from Alaska marijuana shops?

It won't get you high, but cannabidoil, a compound found in marijuana, is tripping up Alaska's cannabis industry.

Cannabidiol — commonly referred to as CBD — is a chemical compound often used in pain management. CBD is non-intoxicating, unlike its psychoactive counterpart THC, and it has shown promise in treating a wide range of illnesses, from anxiety to epilepsy.

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