While California and many other states have legalized cannabis for medical purposes, many states started to relax their marijuana regulations in the 1990s. Some states, starting with Colorado in 2012, have allowed marijuana usage for leisure.
Nevertheless, federal law still classifies it as a Schedule I narcotic (along with heroin and other dangerous drugs). Since people are more in favor of legalizing marijuana and states that have done so have mostly been left alone, federal marijuana regulations could change.
State marijuana laws vary greatly, ranging from complete adult legalization (similar to how alcohol is controlled) to regulations that impose prison sentences for possessing relatively minor amounts.
Voters in Alaska approved the legalization of marijuana on Election Day 2015, allowing adults to buy, possess, and use the drug privately (not in public). Lawmakers also said that they might grant permits to organizations that would be regarded as cannabis cafés if they allowed on-site usage.
Alaska Cannabis Laws
With some limitations, marijuana is legal in Alaska for both medical and recreational usage. It is permitted to cultivate your own herbs and possess up to one ounce of them (4 ounces in your home), but selling or using them in public remains unlawful.
Where Can I Light Up?
Anyone in Alaska who is 21 years old or older may have up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use. Up to an ounce can be given or received.
Since it is illegal to consume cannabis in public under state law, out-of-state visitors cannot smoke in parks, playgrounds, or on the street. If you are found out, you might be fined up to $100.
According to National Park Service spokesperson Peter Christian, a federal citation may be issued if you are found in possession of marijuana. Christian reported that while there were 14 verbal warnings, there were no cannabis-related arrests within Denali National Park and Preserve in 2020.
Cannabis consumption is permitted on private property, but only if the property owner permits it. Check the policy of your hotel to learn more. It’s best to inquire about the host’s policies before booking an Airbnb or other holiday property.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, the attempt to establish “cannabis lounges” has slowed down. In 2018, the State of Alaska enacted legislation allowing on-site consumption in retail cannabis establishments.
Where Do I Get Marijuana?
From Kotzebue to Ketchikan, Alaska has marijuana dispensaries. Others are deli-style, letting customers choose the green of their choice for their budtender to weigh and pack in front of them. Some dispensaries sell packed buds.
Although shops typically have an ATM available for consumers to use for a small cost, they exclusively accept cash. Make sure you have your ID on hand because establishments in Alaska are required by law to check it, sometimes twice.
You can browse the menus from most stores online. Some only allow cash payments and give an online ordering option; they do not offer delivery.
Although it is not necessary, tips are appreciated by the budtenders.
Marijuana Use While Driving
According to Anchorage law, marijuana must be transported in the trunk of a vehicle. The purchase must be kept behind the last row of seats if the vehicle lacks a trunk. Keep your marijuana in its sealed container at all times; even if a passenger opened it, you could still have a problem with the police.
Neither drivers nor passengers are permitted to smoke inside the car. DUI charges may result from driving while intoxicated.
A drug recognition officer will be dispatched to do more investigation, according to the Anchorage Police Department, if someone is thought to be under the influence of drugs.
When “probable cause” for impaired driving is established, APD will take the offender to the Anchorage prison for a blood test.
People who refuse the test risk being charged with another offense.
Bringing Marijuana on a Trip
Depending on how you travel around the state, there are different rules for cannabis possession. The U.S. Coast Guard retains control over federal waters.
The U.S. Coast Guard will uphold marijuana-related federal laws as a federal law enforcement organization.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, which runs the Alaska Marine Highway System, claimed they aren’t aggressively on the lookout for passengers in possession.
Cannabis is prohibited on Alaska Airlines flights, either in checked or carry-on luggage. Before allowing a traveler to proceed through the screening checkpoint, JPD will simply ask them to do something with it.
How Do I Submit a Marijuana License Application?
Your application will be started from our website on the “Marijuana License Application” page. To apply, you must have a current myAlaska account and an Alaska business license number.
Follow the instructions after clicking the “Initiate Marijuana Application” button. As they will direct you and assist you in beginning your application, ensure you have examined all of the resources on the application page. Your application will be started once you have finished the online process, but you still need to finish the operating plan and supplemental forms. The marijuana application page has the forms arranged by license type. To provide completed additional forms and relevant documents, email marijuana.licensing@alaska.gov in PDF format.
All people with a direct or indirect financial interest in the license operation must be listed on applications for marijuana establishment licenses. All human beings interested in the LLC or corporation submitting the application must be listed in the affiliate area. If LLC members or corporate shareholders are also entities, they must be further reduced to human beings having a financial stake in the license’s operation. There must be a list of everyone.
Where is a Marijuana Handler Permit Available?
The student must produce or mail their course completion certificate, an AMCO cover sheet, and a state-issued photo ID to the AMCO headquarters after completing an approved course in order to acquire their marijuana handler card and pay the $50 cost.
According to AS 17.38, How Much Harvested Marijuana is a Non-Licensed Individual Allowed to Keep at Home?
The production and possession of marijuana for personal use are permitted under AS 17.38.020. According to AS 17.38.020, it is legal to possess, grow, process, or transport up to six marijuana plants, three of which must be mature, flowering plants, and the marijuana these plants produce on the property where they were grown.
However, no more than 12 marijuana plants, six of which must be mature, flowering plants, may be present in a single dwelling, regardless of the number of people who are 21 years old or older.
Can Numerous House Residents Combine the Personal-Use Plant or Harvested Marijuana Limits to Raise the Residence’s Legal Limit?
No, it will be legal according to AS 17.38.020, which states that “no more than 12 marijuana plants, with six or fewer being mature, flowering plants, may be present in a single house regardless of the number of persons 21 years of age or older resident in the dwelling.”
The Marijuana Control Board has clarified through definitions that home grows and help are not acceptable ways to get around license requirements.
Do I Need an Attorney?
Speaking with an experienced, knowledgeable Alaska drug lawyer familiar with all aspects of Alaska’s marijuana laws would be vital. It could be the difference between a conviction and a dismissal. Marijuana regulations have a reputation for being confusing, so you’ll need a lawyer.
