Borough Assembly pushes marijuana buffer zone vote to March 15th

At Tuesday night’s Mat-Su Borough Assembly meeting, nearly twenty people addressed the assembly regarding rules for commercial marijuana businesses in the borough. Ultimately, the assembly chose to push a decision on the current ordinance until the March 15^th meeting.

The ordinance before the assembly will set up the rules for conditional use permits for potential marijuana businesses. They include requirements for licensing and setbacks from protected areas like schools and churches. Most of those buffer zones are covered by the regulations established by the State of Alaska. One particular proposed buffer would potentially zone out all of Downtown Talkeetna from commercial cannabis.

That restriction includes a 500 foot buffer around public parks.   Parks are not included in the state regulations. The borough planning commission advised that the assembly not include the additional buffer requirement.

Most borough residents who spoke at the meeting were generally supportive of the efforts by the boroughs Marijuana Advisory Committee. Some, including former Borough Mayor Larry DeVilbiss advocated that a decision be delayed until after the October borough election. DeVilbiss is a supporter of a ballot question that would completely outlaw commercial marijuana in the unincorporated areas of the borough.

The ordinance is set for its next hearing on March 15^th.