Alaska Sets Up New Marijuana Board

The Alaska Legislature has decided to assign the difficult job of writing new regulations for recreational marijuana to a newly created supervisory board.

In February, Gov. Bill Walker asked lawmakers to set up a Marijuana Control Board to oversee the recreational cannabis industry, and this past weekend the state House and Senate obliged. Both chambers concurred on Walker’s requested bill, allocating $1.5 million to fund the new board, according to KTOO Public Media.

The governing board will have five members, including representatives from the industry as well as from the public health and safety sectors and rural Alaska.

Board members will be tasked with controlling the industry in the state, the same way the Marijuana Enforcement Division oversees the industry in Colorado and the Liquor Control Board keeps watch over the rec industry in Washington State.

The board also will be responsible for accepting applications for business licenses and doling them out, enforcing regulations on businesses and adopting future rules.

Board members will be appointed by Walker and confirmed by the state Legislature.