HB 273-EXTEND: MARIJUANA CONTROL BOARD                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:42:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 273,  "An Act extending  the termination  date of                                                               
the  Marijuana  Control Board;  and  providing  for an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:42:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CRYSTAL KOENEMAN,  Staff, Representative  Sam Kito,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, presented  HB 273 on behalf  of Representative Kito,                                                               
prime sponsor.   She remarked  that the board was  unavailable as                                                               
they were in  a board meeting.  Representative Knopp  had posed a                                                               
question regarding  the public safety  member of the board.   She                                                               
informed that  Travis Welch from  Barrow, Alaska, had  been newly                                                               
appointed to the board following the resignation of a member.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:44:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SULLIVAN-LEONARD  asked if  there were pro  or con                                                               
comments regarding the board.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KOENEMAN  noted  that  Brandon   Emmett  from  industry  had                                                               
testified in the  previous meeting.  She underlined  that she had                                                               
not had any negative feedback regarding the board extension.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP spoke to the  creation of the board in 2014,                                                               
when he  was assembly member.   He remarked  that at the  time he                                                               
had  questioned why  anyone would  want  to get  involved in  the                                                               
industry  given the  way  in  which it  was  being regulated  and                                                               
stated  that he  was very  impressed by  how the  board had  come                                                               
together.  He expressed his support for the board.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:46:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  queried and  whether there was  a structured                                                               
plan  to  deal  with  prioritizing  enforcement  due  to  limited                                                               
resources.  He  also asked about the personal views  of the board                                                               
chair regarding the regulation of marijuana.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. KOENEMAN spoke to prioritization  of enforcement and said she                                                               
would present  the members with more  detailed information later.                                                               
She  addressed   the  question  regarding  the   new  member  and                                                               
explained that  the new  member still needed  to be  confirmed by                                                               
the legislature.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:48:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KITO   opened  public   testimony  on   HB  273.     After                                                               
ascertaining  that no  one wished  to testify,  he closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:49:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL moved to report  HB 273 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, HB  273 was  reported from  the House                                                               
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.