Alaska Governor Seeks Marijuana Industry Oversight Board

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has sent a bill to state lawmakers calling for the establishment of a Marijuana Control Board to oversee implementation of rec sales.

The board would be tasked with establishing regulations for the sale and taxation of rec cannabis in Alaska, and it would have powers to enforce those rules, according to the Alaska Dispatch News.

A companion bill would cancel marijuana’s classification as a controlled substance in the state, but a spokesperson for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board said cannabis would still be a “regulated substance.”

Under the terms of Walker’s bill, the five-member volunteer board would consist of representatives from the public safety and public health sectors, as well as representatives of the marijuana industry, rural areas of the state and at least one from the general public. Board members would be appointed by the governor.

On Tuesday, possession, use and home cultivation of rec cannabis became legal in Alaska, though it will likely be a year or longer before the first retail stores selling marijuana can open.