During a session where every lawmaker carried a pair of budget scissors holstered to their side, only a substance that altered the mind could have altered these budget-conscious legislators, who now are approving a million-point-five plus fiscal note for the creation of a new board of regulation for marijuana. No, they’ve haven’t been smoking it, though it could be hard to tell as Rep. Nageak from Barrow said, “I think we need to have a separate board to have, ya know, happy versus versus unhappy people.”
One of the biggest objections during the floor session was the fiscal note. Some house members say that at $1,574,400 the state can’t afford to pay for the four new staff positions it would create in the ABC Board.
While the Marijuana Board would be made up of five volunteers coming from different backgrounds, the staff working on their behalf are set to be full-time state employees. But ABC Board Director Cynthia Franklin insists the funds make all the difference.
“We need the money to not only get the people in place to take on this additional substance, but to get the technology in place to be able to answer reporters’ and legislators’ questions about what’s happening in marijuana,” Franklin said.
If approved by the Legislature, the new board would have dedicated experts handling many of the finer points of regulation that do not yet exist. They would also be responsible for creating public services similar to what is currently in place for alcohol, for example informing community members of who is applying for licenses, and confirming products were grown legally.
See Full Story at Alaska Public Media
image credit APEonline
