Voices

Mike Dingman: Alaska should allow equal opportunities in the legal pot business

More than a week after the election, we are still waiting for definitive results in a few races -- most notably the races for U.S. Senate and the governor's office. Those results will become clear fairly soon. In the meantime, we have decided to legalize marijuana, and now it's time to start figuring out exactly what that means.

The passage of Ballot Measure 2 means that the law becomes official 90 days after the election is certified and that state regulators and lawmakers have nine months to create regulations, perhaps including a regulatory agency much like the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The act provides that the ABC will be charged with enforcing regulations unless a separate Marijuana Control Board is created.

One legislator is out in front of this idea already. Anchorage Republican state Rep. Bob Lynn, who was against the passage of Ballot Measure 2, has announced that he will be introducing legislation to create some regulations. Lynn wants to bar marijuana establishments within 500 feet of "any school property (public, private or religious) and any recreation or youth center, church or a public park."

Now this doesn't seem too unreasonable -- they should probably follow the same rule that alcohol vendors do when it comes to stores near schools, which is 200 feet, but as anyone who watches reality shows about pawn shops knows, you always start your bid ridiculously high, and bid your way down. Rep. Lynn's legislation still has to move through the process and could look entirely different on the way out.

Another of Lynn's restrictions, however, caught my eye. He wants to forbid anyone convicted of a felony from owning or working in a marijuana business.

Now, on the surface, this may seem like a good idea. It could even be spun as a way to protect felons from themselves by not allowing them be around marijuana.

However, I disagree for a number of different reasons.

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First of all, marijuana is no longer illegal. With the legalization soon should come the normalization of marijuana. As far as the law is concerned, it's now much like alcohol -- hence the name of the organization supporting the passage of the law: "The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol."

Felons are often given jobs in bars and liquor stores. They are often the people who are behind the bar making your favorite drink or taking your beer order at the table. The restaurant industry is a great starting point for felons getting out of prison and working toward a normal life within the rest of society.

Secondly, this legislation does not need to protect felons from themselves. Those who have been released to probation and or parole already have that level of protection. Some combination of the courts and the parole board has created rules for those on probation and parole. Often those rules include restrictions on drinking alcohol, drinking to excess and use of any illicit drugs, to include marijuana. These rules are made based on many factors, including the conviction and individualized re-entry plan. These men and women do an excellent job of creating and enforcing rules for probationers and parolees, and they don't need help from Rep. Lynn's legislation.

Finally, limiting options for felons to find jobs after they are released helps nobody. According to the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center, more than 78 percent of prisoners in the state of Alaska are felons, and more than 80 percent of them are eventually getting out of prison.

When they are released, they are going to need jobs. The UAA Justice Center also says that 1 out of 36 Alaskans are incarcerated. The Bureau of Justice Statistics says that 95 percent of state prisoners will be released from prison at some point.

Those who have done their time are ready to reintegrate into the society that they let down. Many want to go to work and become productive members of society, but they already have a tough road ahead of them. Finding employment is often a gargantuan task because employers are turned off by the concept of hiring someone who has a criminal history. Many of these coffee shops, bars, and restaurants are a godsend for these adults attempting to re-enter society and making a better life for themselves.

To lump everybody who has committed a felony into one group is unfair. Prisoners are a microcosm of society. Many are addicts or suffering from mental illness and need some sort of support system and a job to become productive members of society. Others made one really bad decision that altered their lives forever. It seems rather hypocritical of us to complain about recidivism rates when we are constantly reducing the types of career paths people can find after serving a sentence.

Marijuana will soon be legal in Alaska. In the next nine months, we will start to see what regulations apply to the sale of the substance. This will create a new industry in Alaska and many new jobs. Let's have a little more respect for the probation and parole system and continue to create opportunities for those reintegrating into society to work rather than creating more roadblocks.

Mike Dingman is a fifth-generation Alaskan born and raised in Anchorage. He is a former UAA student body president and has worked, studied and volunteered in Alaska politics since the late 90s. Email him at michaeldingman(at)gmail.com.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.

Mike Dingman

Mike Dingman is a fifth-generation Alaskan born and raised in Anchorage. He is a former UAA student body president and has worked, studied and volunteered in Alaska politics since the late '90s.

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