Alaska has joined the club of Washington state and Colorado to become the third American state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. In simpler terms, smoking, owning and growing marijuana in small quantities has now become legal in Republican-leaning state. But publicly smoking the controversial drug continues to be barred under the law.
Now, any person who is 21 or older can carry up to an ounce of weed statewide. The people belonging to this age group can also grow up to six plants of marijuana, three of which can be flowering.
Selling, buying and smoking the marijuana in public places continue to be illegal under the state law. But its exchanges on private basis are allowed in smaller amounts in case money is not involved.
The development comes in the aftermath of the rising decriminalization mass movement in the wild northwest frontier of the United States.
Alaska had scarcely given approval to the measure last year in November following Washington state and Colorado in offering legal status to the recreational use of marijuana.
Meanwhile, the state police have also geared up the efforts to monitor the illegal marijuana use across the state. The department is also offering updates on how they are going to enforce the law to curtail illegal marijuana use.
“Ultimately the concern of the police department is the safety and health of our public. We want to make sure that people are not operating their vehicle impaired or under the influence of marijuana,” Jennifer Castro, spokesperson for Anchorage police, said.
Legalizing marijuana was the joint aim of small-government Republicans, libertarians and rugged individualists who prize the rights associated with the privacy protected under the state constitution.
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