Alaska cannabis cultivators say licensing process takes too long

Six new marijuana cultivators came online in Alaska in July, but growers are complaining about problems with licensing procedures.

“The process is taking a lot longer” than expected, Evan Schlosberg, cultivation director for Anchorage-based The Frost Frontier, told KTUU.

Schlosberg told the TV station it took months to finally receive approval to start growing.

He made his first marijuana sale to a retail store Tuesday, but he’s concerned he could be overwhelmed by taxes, fees and bills if he doesn’t start selling more product.

The first cultivation license in Alaska was granted over a year ago, but only about a dozen growing facilities are up and running in Anchorage.

Meanwhile, the Alaska Department of Revenues said it expects to collect roughly $571,000 in tax revenue for July, bringing to $2.3 million the state’s tax take since the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2015, KTUU reported.