Marijuana regulations take shape

  • Saturday, January 23, 2016 6:29pm
  • Opinion

It’s been a little more than a year since Alaskans voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use, and this past week, two government bodies came to decisions about how the substance should be regulated in our communities.

The Kenai City Council approved regulations governing marijuana businesses in the city, governing what types of businesses and operations will be allowed, and where they will be allowed to operate, and what types of permits will be required.

Likewise, the borough’s Marijuana Task Force made its recommendation to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on an ordinance addressing commercial marijuana.

Both bodies were faced with a difficult task in coming up with a reasonable set of rules to regulate something over which the community remains fairly divided. Views on marijuana run the gamut, from those who would continue to ban it altogether to those who are whole-heartedly behind its legalization, and quite likely, a large number of people whose opinions fall somewhere in between.

We have concerns about recreational drug use — not just marijuana, but alcohol, prescription drugs, and harder drugs, such as heroin, that have been finding their way into our community. There is a cost to the community when recreational use turns into substance abuse.

That said, our hope is that borough and city regulations are effective in keeping marijuana out of the hands of underage Alaskans, yet reasonable enough to provide opportunity and access for those legally allowed to grow, sell and use it. Let’s not be naive; for underage users, marijuana already can be easier to obtain than alcohol, but if there’s an increase in use among area teens, then regulations will need to be revisited.

And if regulations prove too burdensome for those looking to take part in the industry, that may need to be examined as well.

There appears to have been plenty of give and take in crafting regulations, and while it wasn’t always pretty, the final product has been the result of a good process. We’re pleased to see governing bodies be proactive in addressing a major change, and we hope our elected leaders continue to be proactive as we see the results or new regulations put into practice.

More in Opinion

No to 67%

Recently, the Alaska State Officers Compensation Commission voted to raise the pay… Continue reading

This image available under the Creative Commons license shows the outline of the state of Alaska filled with the pattern of the state flag.
Opinion: Old models of development are not sustainable for Alaska

Sustainability means investing in keeping Alaska as healthy as possible.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy unveils proposals to offer public school teachers annual retention bonuses and enact policies restricting discussion of sex and gender in education during a news conference in Anchorage. (Screenshot)
Opinion: As a father and a grandfather, I believe the governor’s proposed laws are anti-family

Now, the discrimination sword is pointing to our gay and transgender friends and families.

Kenai Peninsula Education Association President Nathan Erfurth works in his office on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Voices of the Peninsula: Now is the time to invest in Kenai Peninsula students

Parents, educators and community members addressed the potential budget cuts with a clear message.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: An accurate portrayal of parental rights isn’t controversial

Affirming and defining parental rights is a matter of respect for the relationship between parent and child

t
Opinion: When the state values bigotry over the lives of queer kids

It has been a long, difficult week for queer and trans Alaskans like me.

Unsplash / Louis Velazquez
Opinion: Fish, family and freedom… from Big Oil

“Ultimate investment in the status quo” is not what I voted for.

Dr. Sarah Spencer. (Photo by Maureen Todd and courtesy of Dr. Sarah Spencer)
Voices of the Peninsula: Let’s bring opioid addiction treatment to the Alaskans who need it most

This incredibly effective and safe medication has the potential to dramatically increase access to treatment

An orphaned moose calf reared by the author is seen in 1970. (Stephen F. Stringham/courtesy photo)
Voices of the Peninsula: Maximizing moose productivity on the Kenai Peninsula

Maximum isn’t necessarily optimum, as cattle ranchers learned long ago.

(Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
Opinion: The time has come to stop Eastman’s willful and wanton damage

God in the Bible makes it clear that we are to care for the vulnerable among us.

Caribou graze on the greening tundra of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska in June, 2001. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Opinion: AIDEA’s $20 million-and-growing investment looks like a bad bet

Not producing in ANWR could probably generate a lot of money for Alaska.

A fisher holds a reel on the Kenai River near Soldotna on June 30, 2021. (Photo by Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Voices of the Peninsula: King salmon closures long overdue

Returns have progressively gone downhill since the early run was closed in June 2012