(U.S. Fish and Wildlife photo)
The ad hoc Marijuana Advisory Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, and among the items on the agenda is discussion of whether to recommend a ban on commercial marijuana activity.
That issue has been rather fluid in recent weeks.
The Ketchikan City Council on Dec. 3 voted to move forward with such a ban within city limits, but public criticism of how that vote was handled has prompted a request for reconsideration. That reconsideration will take place during a special City Council meeting, also scheduled for Monday but a little later in the evening, starting at 7 p.m.
In the meantime, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly has been working through a series of regulations for marijuana businesses in the borough. The Assembly approved those regulations in first reading on Dec. 7. A public hearing and second vote still are needed for those regulations to pass.
Also on Monday’s MAC agenda is discussion of a possible local excise tax on commercial marijuana, and an update from Planning Director Chris French on proposed state regulations for marijuana businesses.
The MAC includes representatives from the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly, Ketchikan City Council, Saxman City Council and Ketchikan School Board. It’s an advisory committee, so it can make recommendations, but final decisions are up to those bodies.
The MAC meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in Borough Assembly chambers at the White Cliff Building. The City Council’s special meeting starts at 7 p.m. in Council chambers at City Hall. Both meetings provide time for public comment.
