FAIRBANKS — Nearly two years and two months after the first provisions of a voter initiative to legalize commercial marijuana went into effect, Alaska’s marijuana growers met in Fairbanks to discuss the state of the industry.
The Alaska Marijuana Industry Association hosted its first conference in Fairbanks on Saturday at Pioneer Parks’ Centennial Center for the Arts, drawing a variety of vendors and marijuana enthusiasts.
The road to legalized marijuana was set by the passage of a voter initiative in 2014 that legalized personal use of marijuana in early 2015 and charted the path to commercial marijuana industry that opened its doors late last year.
“We’ve actually got an industry up and running. What does it look like?” asked Brandon Emmett, the president of the Alaska Marijuana Industry Association, at the meeting.
Emmett outlined efforts, saying that the Alaska Marijuana Control Office has been slower than hoped when reviewing applications and issuing permits. He said of more than 600 applicants, about 100 have been approved.
Though Emmett is an industry member on the Marijuana Control Board, he was critical of the administrative handling of the industry, noting that the lack of growers, testers and processors has created bottlenecks throughout Alaska that has left businesses facing shortages.
“Anyone who wants to grow weed should get an application,” he said.
Emmett is the co-owner of Good Titrations, a Fairbanks business focused on processing marijuana into potent concentrates that can be used in edibles or for direct consumption.
Emmett also outlined additional threats to the marijuana industry in the form of local initiatives aimed at banning businesses, including one this fall in Fairbanks, and called on people to work to oppose them.
Marijuana retail store Goodsinse owner Daniel Peters elaborated on that during his presentation to the conference.
“All these people, I’m very proud of to be a part of with this industry,” he said. “I’ve been very happy with the way we all get along real well. We’ve been friends and become friends throughout the year here.”
credit:newsminer.com