JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The chairman of the board that regulates legal marijuana in Alaska, who also is a critic of Gov. Mike Dunleavy, said he was caught off guard by news that Dunleavy was replacing him. “You may quote me as saying I learned about this from The Associated Press,” Mark Springer said late Wednesday. […]
Alaska
Alaska alcohol and marijuana control board votes to remove top regulator
The Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has voted 5-0 to remove the state’s top alcohol and marijuana regulator. In a special meeting Thursday morning, members cited “differences in temperament” between the board and Erika McConnell, head of the Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office. According to Thursday’s action, McConnell would be fired from her position […]
Alaska credit union to end marijuana business pilot program
An Alaska credit union plans to discontinue a pilot program to provide checking and savings accounts to marijuana-related businesses, an official said. Credit Union 1 will end the program Aug. 30 because critical insurance coverage will no longer be available, The Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday. Credit Union 1 announced the program’s launch in November […]
Alaska Approves On-Site Marijuana Use
The state will begin licensing dispensaries on April 11th, though it will likely take several months before dispensaries start to implement smoking sections Alaska is associated with many good things: cold-weather cruises, salmon bakes, a 1996 feel-good movie starring Pete from Mad Men and a baby polar bear, TK. And now, we can add one […]
Alaska adopts rules for on-site marijuana consumption at retail shops
Alaska is set to be the first state with laws on the books regulating marijuana use in retail cannabis shops. Alaska Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer on Tuesday signed off on new regulations that allow on-site cannabis use in retail marijuana shops. The rules go into effect April 11. That’s when freestanding stores can start to apply for […]
‘Real nonsense’: Why are Alaska marijuana buyers obsessed with high potency?
In Alaska’s cannabis stores, a trend has developed: Marijuana is often priced by its potency. Much like the alcohol percentage displayed on a bottle of wine, cannabis labels include THC percentages, which usually range from the low-teens to the mid-20s. But is the more expensive bud – as much as 60 to 80 percent more — worth the price? […]
Alaska Marijuana Board Fines Cannabis Competition For Illegal Sales
Alaska marijuana regulators have fined the operator of a pot competition, the Alaska Cannabis Classic, saying the event illegally sold marijuana and promoted public consumption. The Cannabis Classic, which took place May 19 in Anchorage, was fined $20,000, with $15,000 suspended. That means the operator will have to pay only $5,000 so long as the event […]
States Are Considering ‘Sanctuary’ Status For Cannabis Businesses
Taking a cue from the fight over immigration, some states that have legalized marijuana are considering providing so-called sanctuary status for licensed pot businesses, hoping to protect the fledgling industry from a shift in federal enforcement policy. Just hours after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Jan. 4 that federal prosecutors would be free to crack down on […]
Four Marijuana-State Govs Ask Feds to Leave Them Alone
Four governors of states where voters have legalized marijuana for recreational use are asking the Trump administration to leave in place an Obama-era agreement that gave exemptions to the legal pot industry. In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the governors asked the Justice Department to maintain a 2013 […]
Alaska Announces New Director of Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office
The state announced Tuesday (Feb. 21) a new head for the office in charge of regulating alcohol and marijuana. Erika McConnell has worked in Anchorage’s municipal planning department for more than a decade. More recently, she wrote the city’s regulations for commercial cannabis businesses. McConnell’s new job as director of the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office […]
