Alaska Cannabis Industry

Posted on 13 February, 2023 by Micheal Alexander

Alaska is the first state to have a single cannabis industry, rather than separating out medical and recreational markets.

In 1998, Alaska legalized medical cannabis through majority vote of Ballot Measure #8 which allowed qualifying patients in the state to utilize medical cannabis as a form of medicine. Cannabis Delivery Business

In November 2014, the production, sale and distribution of recreational cannabis was legalized which took effect on February 24th 2015.

Vertical integration is permitted. Only testing licensees may not hold other cannabis business licenses. Alaska cannabis licenses are tied directly to the physical location for the business. Moving to a new location requires a new license application. There is no cap on the number of licenses that can be issued, or the number of licenses for a single individual or company. Commercial cannabis extraction

State residency requirement

Each business partner in an Alaska cannabis business must be a state resident eligible for a Permanent Fund Dividend. That means having lived in Alaska for at least one calendar year.

Premises restrictions

State regulations require that all marijuana businesses must be at least 500 feet away from schools and churches. Towns may add additional restrictions, such as zoning ordinance. Towns may also require a conditional use permit. Businesses are also required to advertise their intentions for three weeks.