BETHEL — Bethel will not be processing any applications related to marijuana businesses for the next six months.
KYUK-AM reports that the City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a measure that places a six-month hold on processing land use, zoning or licensing approvals for marijuana operations.
The state will begin accepting marijuana applications next month and reviewing them in May, but Bethel officials say they want more time to figure out how pot will fit into the city.
City Attorney Patty Burley says budding entrepreneurs can still submit marijuana applications for Bethel during the moratorium, but the ban tells the Alaska Marijuana Control Board that Bethel applications don't matter until July.