More states are trying to legalize marijuana for medicine, recreation, or both. One of the foremost reasons is to reduce trade in the black market and enforce regulations to its distribution, sale, and manufacturing (or cultivation).
One of these states that agree to legalization is Alaska after more than 50% voted yes to ballot measure no. 2. However, saying yes is different from drafting laws to regulate it, and the latter can take up a very long time.
But even then, there are already some legal issues that may pose a huge problem especially for those who want to grow, sell, and use weed.
A great analysis from Mic points out three large hurdles for marijuana advocates. First is the lack of a comprehensive roadway. Unlike other states that have also voted in favor of legalizing marijuana, Alaska is separate from the mainland. There's no type of roadway that connects it to any other state. Thus, the only way to deliver the weed for propagation is via air and sea.
This is where the second problem sets in. Although marijuana use has been "semi legal" in the state for decades, it still remains illegal in the eyes of the federal law. According to such regulation, it is considered illegal to transport, own, and use weed. The U.S. Coast Guard, which patrols the waterways of Alaska, is so bent on enforcing this federal law, which means they won't second-guess apprehending people they suspect of carrying or using marijuana.
Now let's assume that, for some reason, you can get hold of a huge bulk of marijuana without the Coast Guard or even the TSA suspecting it. Where do you grow it? Although people can surely grow it in their homes, as more individuals cultivate weed, the need for more land becomes apparent. Yet over 55% of the land in the state is owned by the federal government.
The only thing that advocates can hope for is that the law will truly be beneficial to those who like to use weed.
