The Ketchikan City Council is set to take a stand on Proposition 2, a statewide ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana in Alaska.
The Council’s Thursday meeting packet includes a resolution opposing that measure. The resolution notes that marijuana remains illegal as far as the federal government is concerned, and that use of that drug has been shown to have negative effects.
The resolution also states that legalization of marijuana could have negative effects on the state’s economy and the workforce. If approved, the Council’s resolution would urge local residents to reject the ballot proposition.
The ballot proposition calls for legalizing marijuana and regulating it like alcohol, including a tax.
According to the Yes on 2 campaign, the proposition allows municipalities, such as the City of Ketchikan, to ban marijuana businesses, although cities could not prohibit private possession or home cultivation by those 21 and older.
Consumption of marijuana in public would remain illegal under the terms of the proposition, and employers would be able to maintain restrictions on marijuana use by their employees.
Proposition 2 will be on the statewide ballot for the Nov. 4 general election.
