Almost two years after voters in Alaska legalized cannabis, the state’s Marijuana Control Board says that they’ll be approving applications and issuing licenses this week allowing for the opening of cannabis retail outlets.
The Board anticipates that most of the outlets will be open sometime before the end of the year, something that’s feasible given that licenses for cultivation facilities and testing labs were approved in June.
Once these cannabis stores are open, they’ll be authorized to legally distribute cannabis to anyone 21 and older. The Board plans to also discuss this week whether or not it will allow patrons of these locations to legally consume onsite, something that isn’t allowed under current rules.
All of this is possible thanks to Question 2, which was approved by voters in 2014 with 53% of the vote. Under this law – which took effect early last year – the possession and use of up to an ounce of cannabis is legal for those 21+, as is the personal cultivation of up to six plants.
