2014 Alaska Measure 2

Last updated

Measure 2
An Act to tax and regulate the production, sale, and use of marijuana
Results
Choice
Votes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svgYes149,02153.23%
Light brown x.svgNo130,92446.77%
Valid votes279,945100.00%
Invalid or blank votes00.00%
Total votes279,945100.00%

2014 AK measure 2 by state house district.svg
Results by state House district

Alaska Measure 2 was a successful 2014 ballot measure in the U.S. state of Alaska, described as "An Act to tax and regulate the production, sale, and use of marijuana". [1] The measure went into effect on 24 February 2015, allowing Alaskans age 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and six plants, making Alaska the third state to legalize recreational marijuana, following Colorado and Washington. [2] Oregon and Alaska both voted in legalization on Election Day 2014, but Alaska preceded Oregon in enacting their legislation.

Contents

The legal status of cannabis in Alaska had varied greatly over the preceding 40 years. Alaska had previously recognized a right to cannabis with the 1975 Ravin v. State case in the Alaska Supreme Court. The state Legislature then decriminalized marijuana in 1982, but a 1990 ballot initiative also entitled Measure 2 recriminalized cannabis until its provisions were struck down in a 2003 Alaska Appeals court case, Noy v. State . [3]

Campaign

Local KTVA-TV newscaster Charlo Greene garnered national coverage, when on 21 September she publicly quit her job on air, and announced her support for legalization. Greene had been reporting on the Alaska Cannabis Club during the evening's newscast, before abruptly revealing that she was the club's owner: [4]

Now everything you've heard is why I, the actual owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, will be dedicating all of my energy toward fighting for freedom and fairness, which begins with legalizing marijuana here in Alaska. And as for this job, well, not that I have a choice but, fuck it, I quit.

Opponents and proponents

The passage of Measure 2 and subsequent legislation provided municipalities with significant leeway to enact local ordinances pertaining to commercial cannabis production and sales. Lance Roberts, a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly, campaigns in downtown Fairbanks in June 2016 for an initiative to prohibit cannabis sales outside of the borough's two incorporated cities, using the slogan "Stop Pot Shops (Stores) Next Door". Lance Roberts.jpg
The passage of Measure 2 and subsequent legislation provided municipalities with significant leeway to enact local ordinances pertaining to commercial cannabis production and sales. Lance Roberts, a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly, campaigns in downtown Fairbanks in June 2016 for an initiative to prohibit cannabis sales outside of the borough's two incorporated cities, using the slogan "Stop Pot Shops (Stores) Next Door".

The Alaska campaign was dominated by one large state group per side: the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska backing the initiative, and Big Marijuana. Big Mistake. Vote No on 2 comprising the main opposition. As of end-August 2014, the Campaign to Regulate had filed $700,000 in contributions with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, while No on 2 had filed $40,487. The Vote No on 2 group criticized the Campaign to Regulate for receiving the majority of its funds through the national Marijuana Policy Project; more than half of Vote No on 2's funding came from the Alaska Native village corporation Chenega Corp. [5] By mid-October, the Campaign to Regulate had spent $827,000, against the Vote No's $69,000. [6]

Results

Measure 2
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes149,02153.23
No130,92446.77
Total votes279,945100.00

Source: Alaska Division of Elections [7]

Implementation

Possession and usage by adults was legalized on 24 February 2015. Alaska House Bill 123, the Marijuana Control Board bill which established a five-member Marijuana Control Board that shares staff with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, passed the House on 19 April by a vote of 37-1. [8] The first legal marijuana store opened in Valdez in October 2016. [9] Other retail outlets have since opened in most of Alaska's larger cities.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marijuana Policy Project</span> American organization

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States in terms of its budget, number of members, and staff.

KTVA is a television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, affiliated with the digital multicast network Rewind TV. The station is owned by Denali Media Holdings, a subsidiary of local cable provider GCI. KTVA's transmitter is located in Spenard—covering the Anchorage bowl and much of the adjacent Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal history of cannabis in the United States</span>

In the United States, increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s. By the mid-1930s cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state, including 35 states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act. The first national regulation was the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

Ravin v. State, 537 P.2d 494, was a unanimous decision by the Alaska Supreme Court. Decided on May 27, 1975, the Court held that the Alaska Constitution's right to privacy protects an adult's ability to use and possess a small amount of marijuana in the home for personal use. The Alaska Supreme Court thereby became the first—and only—state or federal court to announce a constitutional privacy right that protects some level of marijuana use and possession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Oregon Ballot Measure 80</span> Cannabis-related referendum

Oregon Ballot Measure 80, also known as the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, OCTA and Initiative-9, was an initiated state statute ballot measure on the November 6, 2012 general election ballot in Oregon. It would have allowed personal marijuana and hemp cultivation or use without a license and created a commission to regulate the sale of commercial marijuana. The act would also have set aside two percent of profits from cannabis sales to promote industrial hemp, biodiesel, fiber, protein, and oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 California Proposition 19</span> Failed measure to legalize marijuana

California Proposition 19 was a ballot initiative on the November 2, 2010, statewide ballot. It was defeated, with 53.5% of California voters voting "No" and 46.5% voting "Yes." If passed, it would have legalized various marijuana-related activities, allowed local governments to regulate these activities, permitted local governments to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, and authorized various criminal and civil penalties. In March 2010, it qualified to be on the November statewide ballot. The proposition required a simple majority in order to pass, and would have taken effect the day after the election. Yes on 19 was the official advocacy group for the initiative and California Public Safety Institute: No On Proposition 19 was the official opposition group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction</span>

In the United States, cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. At the federal level, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, prohibiting its use for any purpose. Despite this prohibition, federal law is generally not enforced against the possession, cultivation, or intrastate distribution of cannabis in states where such activity has been legalized. On May 1, 2024, the Associated Press reported on plans by the Drug Enforcement Administration to move cannabis to the less-restrictive Schedule III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of cannabis laws in the United States</span>

The legal history of cannabis in the United States began with state-level prohibition in the early 20th century, with the first major federal limitations occurring in 1937. Starting with Oregon in 1973, individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis, sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Oregon Ballot Measure 91</span> Referendum legalizing marijuana

Oregon Ballot Measure 91 was a 2014 ballot measure in the U.S. state of Oregon. Its passage legalized the "recreational use of marijuana, based on regulation and taxation to be determined by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission".

Charlo Greene is a Nigerian-American businesswoman and former reporter/anchor for KTVA television in Anchorage, Alaska. Greene received media notice after she quit her job on-air in September 2014 while covering a story on the Alaska Cannabis Club, a medical cannabis organization, revealing that she was the owner of the business.

Alaska Measure 2 or the Alaska Marijuana Criminalization Initiative was a successful 1990 ballot measure in the U.S. state of Alaska; the initiative stated that it: "would change Alaska's laws by making all such possession of marijuana criminal, with possible penalties of up to 90 days in jail and/or up to a $1000 fine."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Alaska</span>

Cannabis in Alaska is legal for recreational use since 2014. It was first legalized by the court ruling Ravin v. State in 1975, but later recriminalized by Measure 2 in 1990. Ballot measures in 2000 and 2004 attempted to legalize recreational use, until finally Measure 2 in 2014 passed with 53.2% of the vote. Medical use was legalized by way of Measure 8 in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 California Proposition 64</span> Referendum on recreational cannabis

The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) was a 2016 voter initiative to legalize cannabis in California. The full name is the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. The initiative passed with 57% voter approval and became law on November 9, 2016, leading to recreational cannabis sales in California by January 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Missouri</span>

Cannabis in Missouri is legal for recreational use. A ballot initiative to legalize recreational use, Amendment 3, passed by a 53–47 margin on November 8, 2022. Possession for adults 21 and over became legal on December 8, 2022, with the first licensed sales occurring on February 3, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Florida</span>

Cannabis in Florida is illegal for recreational use. Possession of up to 20 grams is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $1000, and the suspension of one's driver's license. Several cities and counties have enacted reforms to apply lesser penalties, however.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Ohio</span>

Cannabis in Ohio is legal for recreational use. Issue 2, a ballot measure to legalize recreational use, passed by a 57–43 margin on November 7, 2023. Possession and personal cultivation of cannabis became legal on December 7, 2023. The first licensed sales started on August 6. Prior to legalization, Ohio decriminalized possession of up 100 grams in 1975, with several of the state's major cities later enacting further reforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Michigan</span>

Cannabis in Michigan is legal for recreational use. A 2018 initiative to legalize recreational use passed with 56% of the vote. State-licensed sales of recreational cannabis began in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Michigan Proposal 1</span>

The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, also known as Proposal 1, was an initiative that appeared on the November 2018 ballot to legalize cannabis in the U.S. state of Michigan. The initiative allows adults 21 and older to possess up to 2.5 ounces (71 g) of cannabis and to grow up to 12 plants at home. The initiative was approved with 56% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Ohio Issue 2</span>

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol initiative, listed on the ballot as Issue 2, is a ballot initiative for legalization of cannabis in the U.S. state of Ohio that was passed by voters on November 7, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Missouri marijuana legalization initiative</span>

2022 Missouri Constitutional Amendment 3, also known as the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, was a ballot measure to amend the Constitution of Missouri to legalize cannabis at the state level in Missouri. The measure was on the November 7, 2022, general ballot and was approved by voters with a margin of 53–47 percent.

References

  1. "Full Initiative Text | Campaign to Regulate Marijuana in Alaska". Regulatemarijuanainalaska.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  2. "Alaska becomes 3rd state with legal marijuana". USA Today . Associated Press. February 24, 2015. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  3. John Scheb; John Scheb, II (February 19, 2013). Criminal Law and Procedure. Cengage Learning. pp. 300–. ISBN   978-1-285-54613-1.
  4. "KTVA reporter quits on-air, reveals herself as owner of Alaska Cannabis Club | Alaska Dispatch News". Adn.com. September 21, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  5. "Alaska marijuana legalization initiative: Supporters, opponents rally | Alaska Dispatch News". Adn.com. August 31, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  6. Chokshi, Niraj (October 10, 2014). "Alaska's marijuana legalization advocates are outspending their foes 12 to 1". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  7. "Gems Election Results".
  8. Andrews, Laurel (April 19, 2015). "Mixed results for Alaska marijuana legislation as lawmakers wind down |". Alaska Dispatch News . Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  9. Andrews, Laurel (October 29, 2016). "Marijuana milestone: Alaska's first pot shop opens to the public in Valdez". Anchorage Daily News. Alaska Dispatch News.