Alaska Marijuana Licensing

What License Types Exist in Alaska?

The 3 AAC 306 Regulations adopted by the Alaska Marijuana Control Board (MCB), a section of the state’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office (AMCO), in 2015 list four types of marijuana establishments licenses in Alaska. The four classes of marijuana business licenses available in Alaska are retail, cultivation, marijuana, and testing licenses. Some of these categories have more than one license available.

Retail Marijuana Store License

This license authorizes its holders to sell, distribute, deliver, give, or offer to distribute, sell, or deliver cannabis or cannabis products purchased from licensed cultivation facilities or manufacturing facilities to consumers. A retail marijuana store licensee may also obtain a marijuana product manufacturing license, marijuana cultivation license, or both. However, anyone who obtains any of these licenses in addition to a retail marijuana store license must conduct each operation in separate rooms. However, Alaska requires that a retail marijuana store licensee must have no direct or indirect financial interest or an ownership interest in a licensed marijuana testing facility. The Alaska MCB requires each applicant for this license to submit a retail marijuana store operating plan supplemental and obtain a food safety permit. The current license fee is $5,000.

Marijuana Cultivation License

A person or an entity must obtain a marijuana cultivation license to plant, propagate, cultivate, and harvest marijuana legally. Holders of this license can also dry, cure, package, and label marijuana. The MCB issues two types of marijuana cultivation facility licenses, namely:

• Standard Marijuana Cultivation Facility License: Besides cultivation, holders of this license are authorized to sell marijuana, but only to licensed retail marijuana stores, licensed marijuana product manufacturing facilities, or other licensed marijuana cultivation facilities. They can also provide samples to licensed marijuana testing facilities for testing and conduct in-house testing for their facilities' use.
• Limited Marijuana Cultivation Facility License: Marijuana cultivation under this license is restricted to no more than 500 square feet of cultivation space.

A marijuana cultivation licensee can obtain a retail marijuana store license, manufacturing license, or both but must conduct each operation in a separate space. They may not have any interest (financial or ownership) in any licensed marijuana testing facility. Alaska also requires prospective licensees to submit their operating plan supplementals with their applications. It charges $1,000 for a limited marijuana cultivation facility license and $5,000 for a standard license.

Marijuana Product Manufacturing License

This license permits the extraction of marijuana concentrate and manufacturing of marijuana products for sale. Licensees can buy marijuana from licensed marijuana cultivation facilities or other marijuana product manufacturing facilities. They are also authorized to sell, distribute, and deliver marijuana extracts or any other marijuana product, but only to licensed retail marijuana stores or other marijuana manufacturing facilities. Additionally, a marijuana product manufacturing license allows holders to transport marijuana in compliance with 3 AAC 306.750. The MCB issues two types of marijuana product licenses: standard marijuana product manufacturing facility license and marijuana concentrate manufacturing facility license. It charges $1,000 for the latter and $5,000 for the former and requires each applicant to submit an operating plan supplemental as well as obtain a food safety permit.

Marijuana Testing License

This license is issued to marijuana establishments that offer marijuana testing services and provide test results. A marijuana resting licensee may not have an ownership interest or any financial interest in any other licensed marijuana facility. The licensee must also provide their testing facility operating plan supplemental and pay the $1,000 license fee.