Legalize it: Alaska becomes third state to decriminalize and regulate recreational marijuana

Alaska Cannabis Club CEO Charlo Greene stands behind a counter at a dispensary in Juneau

Alaska has just become the third state in the U.S. to make smoking, growing and owning recreational amounts of marijuana completely legal. Alaska follows Colorado and Washington state in moving forward on drug policies and decriminalization, leaving behind the failed prohibition and so-called "war on drugs" that has proven to be an abject failure.

The measure just barely passed in November in the Republican-leaning state. The move follows Colorado and Washington in lock step, revealing that tide in public perception is really changing with regards to legalizing the marijuana plant. Oregon is soon to follow, having passed legislation to legalize, which has nevertheless not yet gone into effect.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, but as we reported last weekend, that could soon change too.

Under Alaska's new laws on marijuana, anyone who is 21 or older can now own and keep an ounce of marijuana on hand, and grow up to sex plants, three of which are permitted to be flowering.

The restrictions on growing and possession of massive quantities of the herb seems to be intended to allow the State to corner the market on profiting off of the widely-used plant.

Alaska still prohibits smoking in public, much as many states do with tobacco as well. Buying and selling the plant remains illegal, but private exchange is permitted, making informal "exchanges" perfectly legal, and the ban on sales "a mere technicality," according to an anonymous source we spoke with in Alaska.

The restrictions on sales foreshadows the state's interest in monopolizing the above-ground marijuana trade. While that is likely to irritate many, others say this is a state and a huge step forward.

If the rules on sales have you bummed out too, bear in mind that state regulators are still in the process of drafting rules regarding taxation and sale of the plant which have to be finalized by November. Stores will be able to sell marijuana so long as they have a license from the state. What that means is essentially that the state wants "their cut."

That has been the main "selling point" to state governments to influence them to back off the prohibition of the plant. While not perfect, most Alaskans see this as major progress.

"Alaska now has some of the most sensible marijuana laws in the nation," Dr Tim Hinterberger, chair of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said in an official statement, on Alaska's move to legalize.