Alaskans looking to buy legal commercial marijuana will have to wait until after summer to walk into a shop, according to an updated timeline made public in mid-February.
The state Marijuana Control Board will sort its approval process by business type – with cultivation businesses approved first and retail stores last. The rationale is that the state's first legal commercial marijuana needs to be grown before consumers can buy it.
"We must build in time for those first licensed crops to be sold," wrote Cynthia Franklin, Alcoholic Beverage and Marijuana Control Office director. Once a retail store receives its license, it can open almost immediately.
Here's the updated, tentative timeline:
Feb. 24: The state begins accepting business license applications.
March 16: The first applications could be deemed complete.
April 27: The Marijuana Control Board will meet and "review progress with applications received."
May 23: The state's seed-to-sale marijuana system is supposed to be up and running.
June 7: The board will approve the first cultivation and testing licenses.
Sept. 4: The board will approve the first retail store and manufacturing facility licenses.
Dec. 1: The board will meet again and continue approving licenses.