Alaska News

Beers in hand, mostly polite partisan crowd hears both sides in marijuana debate

In some ways, the Bear Tooth Theatrepub was the most likely of venues for a debate on legalizing marijuana.

The popular concert venue is no stranger to marijuana use. Depending on the performer, fans can be seen lighting up and the distinctive, pungent smoke floats through the air.

But on Thursday night, the room was filled with debate from teams arguing for and against Ballot Measure 2, which would legalize recreational marijuana sales and use in Alaska.

"I was asked to remind that this is a nonsmoking venue," said moderator Steve Johnson before the debate. "This seems particularly relevant."

Someone in the nearly full theater of about 400 people yelled, "Boo."

Instead of lighting up, attendees snacked on pizza and beer. While debaters suggested comparisons to alcohol regulations time and again, none of them mentioned the drinks sitting on people's tables.

The debate was sponsored by the UAA Seawolf Debate Team and Alaska Dispatch News.

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The arguments from both sides were mostly familiar. Kristina Woolston and Deborah Williams, arguing for Big Marijuana. Big Mistake. Vote No on 2, brought up concerns over revenue, Outside influences in the election, youth use, issues related to local option and marijuana concentrates. Taylor Bickford and Bruce Schulte, with the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska, spent time countering those points, pointing out that legalization would regulate a black market that already exists, keep marijuana out of the hands of children and stop unnecessarily criminalizing people.

Schulte said despite marijuana's semi-legal status in the state, which technically allows small amounts in the home, the substance is still very much illegal. His job as a pilot does not allow him to use marijuana, but he's seen friends charged, arrested and worse for it. He said some people have had "property seized and sold off."

"Let that sink in," Schulte told the audience. "That's happening today."

Woolston appealed to audiences on a more personal level. She said she and others gathered around a kitchen table last spring to consider Ballot Measure 2. She said those early volunteers at first wondered whether they should oppose it. But once they read what they found to be an "extreme" initiative, they realized they had to do something.

"We read this and we were stunned," Woolston said of the eight-page ballot measure.

The crowd was warmer to the yes side than the no side. In a pre-debate poll, 77 percent of audience members said they were in favor of the initiative, with only 15 percent opposing and 7 percent undecided.

Later in the debate, when Woolston pointed out there are more marijuana stores than Starbucks and McDonald's in Colorado, the crowd cheered. But addressing Woolston's concerns, Bickford noted later that the number of businesses could be limited through the regulatory process.

"There's no reason to think there's going to be a free-for-all with marijuana dispensaries on every corner," he said.

Despite the the leaning of the crowd, which was much less hostile than in other debates, Woolston and Williams appealed to them to make sure the yes side had met its "burden of proof" when it comes to whether the initiative is good for Alaska.

"We think most will respond with a resounding no," Woolston said.

Bickford with the yes campaign disagreed. He especially took issue with accusations from the no side claiming the marijuana campaign, and it's Outside funding from the Marijuana Policy Project, did not have Alaska's best interests at heart.

"We all care about Alaska; we just disagree on the best way to move this issue forward," Bickford told the audience. "We want a more sensible approach (to marijuana regulation), and that's what Ballot Measure 2 does."

At the end of the night, the crowd's perceptions hadn't changed much. Those in favor of the initiative went up to 80 percent, with 13 percent against.

Suzanna Caldwell

Suzanna Caldwell is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in 2017.

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