Hope remains for MJ consumption in Alaska rec shops

Despite the recent rejection of an onsite cannabis consumption proposal by Alaska’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Board, recreational marijuana shops in the state may still be able to allow customers to smoke, vape or munch edibles at their stores.

According to TV station KTUU, Alaskan cannabis retailers will still be able to get legal clearance to allow customers to consume their cannabis purchases at their shops, but only if those retailers deal with even more red tape.

The control board’s acting division chief, Sara Chambers, clarified her agency’s position in a news release posted Friday, according to KTUU. She said last week’s rejection of the onsite consumption proposal “does not preclude the board from approving operating plans” including the use of MJ in rec shops.

To fully comply with state law, retailers would need to “submit an operating plan that meets ventilation requirements and other health and safety standards,” KTUU reported. The catch is that those standards haven’t yet been defined by the state, so retailers will be forced to wait until those regulations are more clearly established.