Along with Washington, Oregon, and Colorado, Alaska has become the fourth state to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
The ruling came when the state voted 53-47 to allow adults to use marijuana in private places. Legislators left many of the details, regulations and nuances to the lawmakers and regulators to resolve.
While the state may not worry about the consequences of legalization, Alaskan Native leaders worry that the new law will incur and lead temptation into their communities. These communities already posses high rates of illegal activity, including drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
“When they start depending on smoking marijuana, I don’t know how far they’d go to get the funds they need to support it,” Edward Nick, a Manokotak council member, said.
However, supporters of legalization in Alaska promised these leaders that they would retain control under certain conditions similar to locally regulated alcohol laws.
Smoking, growing and possessing marijuana in private areas throughout the state is fine, however smoking in public will result in a $100 fine. A minor inconvenience relative to the high, this is a personal value regular smokers assign to marijuana.
As news of legalization spread throughout the state, initiative backers warned smokers to stay calm. Organizers wrote in the Alaska Dispatch News, “Don’t do anything to give your neighbors reason to feel uneasy about this new law.”
The lifted ban on marijuana In Alaska excited pot enthusiasts around the nation, rallying supporters to push harder than ever to bring legalization to their own communities.
I can only imagine how many pot smokers have planned a road trip to Alaska, similar to those who travel to Colorado. The trek across Canada to Alaska will weed out true enthusiasts from the occasional smokers, tokers, and bong blowers.
Airline companies have made a statement that flights on April 20 to Alaska are completely booked. The previous sentence may not be true.
We, I mean weed enthusiasts, now hold high hopes for all bans to be uplifted.
