Alaska Cops Don’t Want to Let Prohibition Go

urprisingly, in light of the states rather lawless
reputation, prosecutors and law enforcement in Alaska are having a hard time
saying goodbye to prohibition.

The trend in other states like Colorado and Washington has
been to go easy on offenders and drop charges in light of the new laws, for
fear that in a few months the case can all be overturned and a massive headache
will inevitably be created. However, whether it be a stubborn streak against
cannabis, nostalgia for old legislation, or a cling to power, Alaska has still
been taking people to task over possession charges, seemingly holding on until
the last second.

“We are not blind or oblivious to the fact that there is a
change coming, but the change is not here yet,” John Skidmore, of the Alaska
Department of Law, reported to The News
Miner. “We did communicate to our folks that right now it is business as
usual. We are evaluating what to do in the future.”

“Technically, it’s still against the law,” added a
spokesperson for the troopers, Megan Peters. “We have to enforce the law.” Matt
Soden of the Fairbanks Police Department agreed, stating “There are
consequences still for using marijuana outside of the home.”

Bill Walker, the Governor of Alaska, issued an official
statement of this pending legislation, “I will follow the wish of the voters on
that, and so we’ll have an implementation plan,” he stated. “We will certainly
reach out to the states of Washington and Colorado to discuss with them their
implementation plan, what worked for them, what was more challenging and try to
learn from their experience.”

Apparently, the new legislation will go into effect with the
New Year. Hopefully then, people will be free from persecution and can enjoy the
new benefits of legalization in peace.