Alaska Marijuana Manufacturing License

Does Alaska Require a Marijuana Manufacturing License to Make Cannabis Products?

Alaska requires a business to obtain a marijuana product manufacturing license to engage in legal cannabis products manufacturing. According to Section 306.50 of the 3 Alaska Administrative Code (AAC), a person/an entity must not manufacture any marijuana product or extract marijuana concentrate for sale without having a marijuana product manufacturing license. In Alaska, a marijuana product manufacturing facility can purchase marijuana from another licensed product manufacturing facility or a licensed marijuana cultivation facility.

A marijuana product manufacturer in Alaska can obtain a standard marijuana product manufacturing license or a marijuana concentrate manufacturing license. Alaska prohibits marijuana product manufacturing licensees from selling, distributing, or transferring marijuana concentrate or products directly to a consumer. A marijuana manufacturing facility in the state must not sell any product that appears like a familiar drink or food or an adulterated drink or food. Marijuana manufacturing must only be conducted in restricted-access areas.

A licensed marijuana product manufacturer in Alaska can apply for and hold a retail marijuana store license, a marijuana cultivation license, or both. If a licensed manufacturer obtains either of these licenses or both, they must conduct each cannabis business operation in separate rooms. For instance, if a licensed manufacturer also owns a cultivation license, the provisions of 3AAC prohibit them from making cannabis products and cultivating marijuana in the same space. If the rooms in which each operation is taking place are co-located or connected, the facility owner must ensure to use a secure door to separate the rooms from each other. A marijuana product manufacturing licensee in Alaska cannot have an ownership interest or a financial interest (direct or indirect) in any licensed marijuana testing facility.

Does Alaska Require Licensed Cannabis Manufacturers to Have Cultivation Licenses?

While a licensed marijuana product manufacturer in Alaska can also have a marijuana cultivation license in Alaska, no state law mandates it. A licensed manufacturing facility that does not own a cultivation license can purchase marijuana plant materials from other licensed manufacturers or licensed cultivators.

How Does Alaska Classify Marijuana Manufacturing Licenses?

Alaska classifies and issues marijuana product manufacturing licenses to marijuana facilities based on the type of cannabis products they manufacture. While one license class permits businesses to manufacture all kinds of cannabis products, the other limits licensees to manufacturing only marijuana concentrates.

What are the Different Types of Cannabis Manufacturing Licenses in Alaska?

The Alaska Marijuana Control Board (MCB) issues two types of marijuana product manufacturing licenses. These are:

• Standard Marijuana Product Manufacturing License - This license is issued to businesses to manufacture, refine, process, package, label marijuana products, and extract marijuana concentrate. The license permits them to manufacture topical and food products including patches, ointments, tinctures, and edible products. A licensed standard marijuana product manufacturing facility can provide and transport marijuana product samples and concentrates to a marijuana testing facility for testing. They can also conduct in-house testing of cannabis products for their facility's use. Where required, a licensed marijuana product manufacturer in Alaska can provide samples of a marijuana product or marijuana concentrate to a licensed retail marijuana store to negotiate a sale
• Marijuana Concentrate Manufacturing License - This license permits a business to conduct the same activities as a standard marijuana product manufacturing licensee, but with some exceptions. The license holder may not manufacture, process, package, or label marijuana products other than marijuana concentrates. Also, they cannot do the following:
  • Sell or deliver marijuana products other than marijuana concentrates to another licensed marijuana product manufacturing facility or a retail marijuana store
  • Provide marijuana product samples other than marijuana concentrates to a licensed retail marijuana store for sale negotiation purposes
  • Transport or provide marijuana product samples other than marijuana concentrates to licensed testing facilities for testing

Does Alaska Require a Separate License to Manufacture Edibles?

The MCB does not issue a special license for manufacturing edible marijuana products. Any licensed marijuana product manufacturer in the state can manufacture edible products. Generally, an edible marijuana product is intended to be consumed orally, whether as a drink or food, and must not include an adulterated drink or food product.

However, every licensed cannabis product manufacturer in Alaska must obtain a food safety permit and comply with the Alaska Food Code and other local kitchen-related safety and health standards for retail food establishments. They must not prepare edible products with potency levels exceeding 10 mg of Delta 9 or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per serving or 100 mg or ten servings of this THC in a singly packed unit.

How to Get a Cannabis Manufacturing License in Alaska

Any business entity intending to get a marijuana product manufacturing license in Alaska should apply to the Alaska Marijuana Control Board (MCB). However, prospective licensees need to confirm whether the local jurisdictions in which they intend to operate permit commercial cannabis activities using a spreadsheet provided by the MCB. The MCB accepts all marijuana license applications, including marijuana product manufacturing licenses, via the myAlaska portal. The portal requires a new user to register an account before proceeding with their application.

Generally, all the prospective product manufacturing licenses in Alaska must be involved in the online application process. For instance, if the applicant is an entity, all members, officers, shareholders, and partners must complete the online application. Where the entity has a parent company, the online application must include the parent company's shareholders, officers, partners, and members.

The MCB also requires all prospective licensees to obtain their fingerprints at any state-approved fingerprint agency as a part of the license application process. Usually, the Board submits the fingerprints to the Alaska Department of Public Safety to obtain criminal background records for each individual on the application. Once an applicant initiates their application on the myAlaska portal, they must complete some supplemental forms provided by the MCB and provide certain documents. The required forms and documents include:

• Application Certifications Form (Form MJ-00)
• Operating Plan Form (Form MJ-01)
• Premises Diagram Form (Form MJ-02)
• Marijuana Product Manufacturing Facility Form (Form MJ-05)
• Public Notice Posting Affidavit Form (Form MJ-07)
• Local Government Notice Affidavit Form (Form MJ-08)
• Statement of Financial Interest Form (Form MJ-09)
• Food safety permit
• Proof of possession of the proposed manufacturing facility
• Fingerprint cards (issued at the point of obtaining fingerprints)

After completing the initial online application on the myAlaska portal, the portal will immediately provide the applicant with advertising notice, public notice, and cover sheet. The MCB requires the applicant to fill out the cover sheet and submit it with the required documents and completed supplemental forms to the Board by email. When preparing the email, an applicant should not attach all the supplemental forms and required documents as one document. Instead, they should attach each form and document separately and use the license number issued from the online application as the email subject.

Typically, the length of time it takes the MCB to review and consider a marijuana product manufacturing license in Alaska depends on the completeness of the application and the volume of applications in its queue. Applicants must pay all required fees as the Board advises to avoid stalling their application processes.

How Much Does a Cannabis Manufacturing License Cost in Alaska?

The application fee for both a standard marijuana product manufacturing license and a marijuana concentrate manufacturing license in Alaska is $1,000. The MCB charges a standard product manufacturing license applicant $5,000 for a license fee, while a concentrate manufacturing license applicant pays a $1,000 fee for a license. The cost of obtaining fingerprints at any state-approved fingerprinting agency is $48.25 for each prospective licensee included on an application. For manufacturers registering new products not listed on their initial applications, the MCB charges a $250 Proposed New Marijuana Product Fee for each newly introduced product.

A marijuana product manufacturing license in Alaska expires after one year of obtaining it, and the licensee must renew it for continued legal cannabis products manufacturing. A standard product manufacturing license holder pays $7,000 as a renewal fee, while a concentrate manufacturing licensee pays $2,000. The MCB accepts marijuana license and application fees by money order, check, cashier check, and cash.