Medical Marijuana Laws: No Medical Marijuana Prosecutions in Alaska

Unlike many other states that have decriminalized medical marijuana, the uniqueness of Alaska’s medical marijuana laws protects most people from federal prosecution.

In Alaska, the same cannot be said as it is in other states where they have decriminalized medical marijuana and have state run programs to manage and regulate it. In 2009, President Obama made statements regarding the medical marijuana programs that were currently in effect in numerous different states, pledging that he would not allocate Justice Department resources on prosecuting medical marijuana providers. What he meant by that was that those who were growing medical marijuana, such as dispensaries in states like California, could put to bed their worries over being federally prosecuted for trafficking an illegal drug.

Since marijuana is still federally prohibited, the Feds don’t recognize state medical marijuana laws, as state law is not able to supersede federal law. As a result, mostly seen during the Bush administration, countless dispensaries in states like California and Oregon were raided by the DEA, and the owners were arrested and charged with drug trafficking for providing this state approved medicine to patients in need. But not in Alaska, where the medical marijuana laws have been carefully drafted.

In Alaska, they didn’t legalize the sale of medical marijuana and authorize dispensaries, so they have not circumvented or attempted to circumvent federal medical marijuana laws. Since dispensaries are often targets of federal raids, and since Alaska doesn’t allow them to operate in the state, there have been almost no federal prosecutions for medical marijuana in this state.

“Alaska has never legalized the sale of marijuana, so it’s different than other states,” explained Anchorage-based U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler in a late May interview with the Washington Examiner. (Read Full Article Here)

Currently, there are around 379 patients registered to use medical marijuana in Alaska. The state issues medical marijuana cards to approved patients, which are valid for 12 months, after which they must be renewed. Only patients that have been recommended marijuana by a doctor can be issued the cards.