Robert Celt
New Member
Assembly members in Anchorage have passed a bundle of rules that will shape the business landscape for the state's largest commercial cannabis market in the months ahead.
Assembly member Bill Evans says the body is walking a line between trying to not replicate past excesses by the alcohol industry, though not over-regulating to the point of suffocating new businesses.
"We have such limited land available for this industry, every one of these restrictions makes things more expensive and makes the chances of success for a legitimate industry replacing the black market that much harder."
Through adjustments to the city's zoning code, the body decided nitty-gritty particulars that new businesses have to know as they apply for permits with the city and the state starting February 24th.
Major items include placing a 500 foot buffer between cannabis businesses and sensitive establishments like schools and churches. As well, it was decided that distance will be assessed "as the crow flies," rather than by the shortest pedestrian pathway.
A flood of amendments from representative Amy Demboski placed extra limits on businesses in the Eagle-River Chugiak area, which also has the most industrial land fitting the profile for potential commercial cannabis grow operations. And an amendment from downtown representative Patrick Flynn that would have explicitly allowed for on-site consumption in shops selling cannabis products was narrowly defeated, though Assembly members left a placeholder in the code and agreed to revisit the issue.
The local votes come just ahead of a Thursday meeting by the state's Marijuana Control Board in Juneau to discuss regulations and an updated timeline for issuing licences.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: The Nitty-Gritty Rules That Will Shape Anchorage's Cannabis Industry
Author: Zachariah Hughes
Photo Credit: Jim Mone
Website: Alaska Public Media
Assembly member Bill Evans says the body is walking a line between trying to not replicate past excesses by the alcohol industry, though not over-regulating to the point of suffocating new businesses.
"We have such limited land available for this industry, every one of these restrictions makes things more expensive and makes the chances of success for a legitimate industry replacing the black market that much harder."
Through adjustments to the city's zoning code, the body decided nitty-gritty particulars that new businesses have to know as they apply for permits with the city and the state starting February 24th.
Major items include placing a 500 foot buffer between cannabis businesses and sensitive establishments like schools and churches. As well, it was decided that distance will be assessed "as the crow flies," rather than by the shortest pedestrian pathway.
A flood of amendments from representative Amy Demboski placed extra limits on businesses in the Eagle-River Chugiak area, which also has the most industrial land fitting the profile for potential commercial cannabis grow operations. And an amendment from downtown representative Patrick Flynn that would have explicitly allowed for on-site consumption in shops selling cannabis products was narrowly defeated, though Assembly members left a placeholder in the code and agreed to revisit the issue.
The local votes come just ahead of a Thursday meeting by the state's Marijuana Control Board in Juneau to discuss regulations and an updated timeline for issuing licences.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: The Nitty-Gritty Rules That Will Shape Anchorage's Cannabis Industry
Author: Zachariah Hughes
Photo Credit: Jim Mone
Website: Alaska Public Media
