Marijuana Possession Now Legal in Alaska

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Tue Feb 24, 2015 at 01:55:17 PM EST
Tags: marijuana reform (all tags)

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In November, Alaska voters voted to legalize the personal use and possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The law went into effect today.

Alaska's new law, passed by voters in 2014, means people over age 21 can legally consume small amounts of pot, but individuals are not allowed to sell it or buy it. They are allowed to grow up to six plants and possess up to an ounce of weed. Smoking in public is not allowed.

[More...]

Yesterday, the Governor of Alaska introduced a bill to establish a Marijuana Control Board to regulate the industry.

Last week, Rep. Jared Polis introduced a federal bill to regulate marijuana like alcohol. It is H.R. 1013.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., introduced a companion bill, the Marijuana Tax Revenue Act, which would impose a federal excise tax on marijuana.

"Rather than be a medicinal substance, it would be a controlled substance like alcohol and tobacco so there's still a federal interest in enforcement," Polis told The Denver Post. "It's important as we head into a presidential election. We don't know if the next president will have the same hands-off approach that Barack Obama and Eric Holder eventually found their way towards."

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Marijuana Possession Now Legal in Alaska | 6 comments (6 topical)

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I Thought Alaskans... (none / 0) (#1)
by ScottW714 on Tue Feb 24, 2015 at 04:21:25 PM EST

...could always grow so many plants.

You can't (none / 0) (#2)
by lentinel on Tue Feb 24, 2015 at 05:21:08 PM EST

buy it or sell it, but there will be a federal excise tax on it.

Are there many other products that one cannot buy or sell that are taxed by the Federal Government?

It must bring in a lot of revenue.

: There is a federal excise tax on gambling (none / 0) (#3)
by Peter G on Tue Feb 24, 2015 at 08:34:15 PM EST

that is used solely to prosecute illegal gambling operations for non-payment, as far as I know.

So, people can't buy it or sell it, but (none / 0) (#4)
by Mr Natural on Tue Feb 24, 2015 at 10:19:46 PM EST

the seeds necessary to grow it are permitted to magically appear in your soil so that mj may legally grow, a sort of immaculate conception.

Marijuana Tax Stamps. $3.50/g in some states - $100/g in Nevada.

If you can't buy it or sell it... (none / 0) (#5)
by unitron on Wed Feb 25, 2015 at 08:16:44 AM EST

...can you legally give or receive it as a gift?

Will Alaska soon have a Johnny Potseed wandering its wildernesses?


: Charlo Greene... (none / 0) (#6)
by kdog on Wed Feb 25, 2015 at 09:44:54 AM EST

is your huckleberry unitron...she's giving away the sacrament to celebrate the new law and the grand opening of her passion project, The Alaska Cannabis Club.
We're coming out of the wilderness, we're comin' in from the cold!