Alaska regulators to start taking applications for pot businesses tomorrow

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A regulatory board in Alaska will begin accepting applications Wednesday for marijuana business licenses. It's the next step in setting up the state's legal pot industry.


To apply for a license, prospective business operators need to have secured a site. That has proven to be a challenge in some parts of the state because of things like location restrictions or local community bans.

Leif Abel, who is with the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Legislation, says there's a lot of risk for would-be business owners. But he and others say they're passionate about the industry and want to be a part of it.

While the state's Marijuana Control Board will start accepting business applications on Wednesday, it will still be months before pot can legally be purchased by those 21 and older.