A marijuana industry representative has been chosen to fill the Alaska Marijuana Control Board's vacant seat, according to a Wednesday release from Gov. Bill Walker's office.
Nicholas Miller fills the fifth seat on the volunteer board after Walker removed Bruce Schulte from the board on July 29.
Miller is the chair of the Anchorage Cannabis Business Association, and is working toward opening the retail store AlaskaBuds LLC in Anchorage.
"Nick will do a great job complementing the existing Alaska Marijuana Industry Association's representation on the Board, and enable even broader industry perspectives," Walker said in a release.
Reached for comment Wednesday, Miller said he was still letting his appointment sink in.
The Marijuana Control Board was formed in the summer of 2015. Since then, the board has crafted the state's laws around commercial cannabis and approved the first marijuana testing and growing facilities.
In the wake of the governor's dismissal of Shulte — an industry representative — some in the cannabis industry worried the new appointee could potentially change the board's dynamic. Walker's decision to fill the seat with a second industry appointment, instead of a public appointment, keeps two industry seats on the board.
"He's an industry person and that's what's really critical here," said Alaska Marijuana Industry Association executive director Cary Carrigan. "We were striving for balance and I think it'll work."
Miller joins Mark Springer, who fills the rural seat; Peter Mlynarik, the public safety seat; Loren Jones, the public health seat; and Brandon Emmett, the second cannabis industry seat.
The next board meeting is Sept. 7, when the board will approve or deny the first marijuana retail stores and manufacturers.