Under a proposed bill circulating in the Alaska State Legislature, marijuana would no longer be a controlled substance in Alaska, while new misdemeanors and fines would be created for some marijuana misconduct.

An updated draft of Senate Bill 30 was reviewed Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Its counterpart, the identical House Bill 79, was heard simultaneously in the House Judiciary Committee.

“Marijuana will be treated as a regulated substance under Alaska law” and would no longer be a controlled substance in Alaska, Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, said of the bill revisions.

When introduced in late January, the first draft of the bill meant to clarify Alaska’s criminal marijuana statutes added confusion to already convoluted marijuana laws. Marijuana remained a controlled substance under the first draft, to the concern of legislators and supporters of the ballot initiative.

A few days later, meetings on the bill were postponed until drafters completed a version that better reflects “the will of the people,” Anchorage Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux told Alaska Dispatch News. [Read more at the Alaska Dispatch News]