As a lifelong Alaskan and five year Anchoragite, I was surprised and dismayed to hear that the Anchorage Assembly was considering an ordinance prohibiting the establishment of marijuana businesses. My schedule prevents me from attending the public hearing scheduled for Dec. 16, so I felt compelled to write this commentary.
The idea of taking unilateral action in order to "wait and see" is logically inconsistent. There is no expiration date on the decision to "opt out." It would be more sensible for the Assembly to "wait" until the regulatory authorities were nearing completion of their work and then "see" if those regulations conflicted with the municipality's best interests. The end result of the adoption of AO 2014-148 will be to leave the marijuana industry in the hands of criminals, undermining the foundations of the soon to be adopted statute. If the criminal black market cannot be curtailed, AS 17.38 will be a failure.
AO 148 makes very little economic sense as well. As with any new industry, this one will be accompanied by a boom. Properties will change hands, renovations and new construction projects will be started and jobs will be created. Alaskan dollars that previously went to criminal enterprises from Mexico to Canada will now stay right here at home, putting food on the table for legitimate entrepreneurs and their employees. Additionally, there is no prohibition on a local excise or "sin" tax in the statute. Given the Municipality's budget woes, can we really afford to "opt out" of ANY new revenue stream?
I heard the comment that the results of the election were not overwhelming enough to provide a clear "mandate" in favor of allowing marijuana businesses in Alaska's largest city. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the Assembly that more votes were cast yes on 2 than in favor of any politician who ran. Stipulating the discerning minds of most Alaskan voters, and our unwillingness to toe a party line, I believe these results send a clear message: Alaskans want the marijuana industry out of the pockets of criminals and into the hands of licensed entrepreneurs.
No matter what the Assembly decides, people will continue to grow and sell pot in Anchorage. It is up to us to determine whether they will be tax-evading criminals or legitimate business owners. What it boils down to is this: A yes vote on AO-148 is an explicit endorsement of criminal enterprise.
Tim Hale grew up on Prince William Sound in Whittier and Valdez, and now lives in Anchorage.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.