Anchorage Alaska Beats Back Proposed City Ban on Rec Sales

Local Alaska lawmakers resoundingly killed a proposal by a vote of 9-2 to ban sales in Anchorage, the state’s most populous city and promising market for both recreational and medical sales. The proposal, put forth by an Anchorage Assembly member to ban recreational sales in the city, would have been legal under the provisions of Ballot Measure 2.

The measure was not supported by Assembly members for a very practical reason. Officials told the local press that they were concerned that a municipal ban would exclude local participation in state wide discussions on cannabis overall as the state moves to regulate a brand new booming market.

51% of voters in Anchorage approved recreational cannabis in the state last November. The state was one of the first to change its state constitution (like Colorado) to legalize medical use. Unlike Colorado or even Oregon, which has a user profile very similar to Alaska, market development here has lagged even in recent years. 

Politically, support has been hard to quantify in terms of political affiliation. This year it appeared that Democratic leaning politicians in the state were against the legalization measure while Republican leaning ones were more supportive. 

Barring any further legal challenges, it now appears that a regulated supply chain, from cultivation sites to retail outlets and storefront dispensaries will be able to begin to apply for business permitting by November of 2015. The first licensed state businesses are slated to open sometime in the spring of 2016.