It’s legal to possess, grow and consume insignificant amounts of marijuana in Alaska since the 1975 Supreme Court ruling in the Ravin v. State case, which upheld the Alaska Constitution’s right to privacy. The Last Frontier is famous for its snowy winters, but the weather in summer is ultra-conducive for industrial hemp cultivation.
The following passages will elaborate on the marijuana and CBD laws of Alaska.
Marijuana in Alaska
In 2014, Alaska became the third American state to legalize adult-use cannabis consumption. Sales took off two years later, and as of 2019, 70 licensed dispensaries are disbursing recreational cannabis, alongside 14 manufacturers, and 148 active cultivations. There are also four recreational marijuana testing labs in the largest U.S. state.
Alaska registered recreational sales of $28 million in 2018, and the projection for the year 2022 is a handsome $119 million. The Marijuana Control Board governs the trade.
Being an Alaskan, you can possess up to an ounce of weed, and can also grow six cannabis plants for personal usage. However, carrying 1 to 4 oz. outside your private residence is a Class A misdemeanor penalized by 12-months imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Moreover, lighting a blunt in public is not permissible, and carries a $100.
Medical Marijuana
The Alaska law defines marijuana as leaves, flowers, or stems of the plant; cannabis concentrates such as oils, hashes, and waxes; and an expansive range of marijuana-infused products, i.e., edibles, tinctures, and topicals. The medicinal program is restricted to a card registration for patients and parent caregivers. However, there’s no state provision for business licenses.
As of 2019, there are 621 medicinal marijuana cardholders in Alaska. The year-end medical sale for 2018 was $3 million, which is expected to remain the same until the year 2022. You can also enroll for your cannabis registry card here.
CBD Oil Laws in Alaska
Earlier in 2018, Gov. Bill Walker passed legislation (SB-6) to statewide legalize industrial hemp, and he befittingly signed it off with a hemp pen. The bill also removed industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana and from the state’s list of controlled substances. More crucially, CBD oil is also excluded from the subcategory of hashish oil, and is completely legal in Alaska, as long as it possesses up to 3% THC.
The patients registered with the state’s medicinal marijuana project can consume marijuana to battle a series of critical conditions from chronic pain, nausea, to cancer, and cachexia to HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis.
Conclusion
Alaska is one of the more marijuana and CBD-friendly U.S. states with various dispensaries and manufacturers. The recreational sales are expected to rise to a significant $119 million by the year 2022 after the Governor of Alaska signed Senate Bill 6 to divorce cannabidiol from the definition of cannabis. However, there are no business opportunities for medical marijuana as of early 2019.
To conclude, you can confidently purchase CBD products and smoke weed in Alaska, as long as you’re registered for the former, and consuming the latter in your private residence.
