Juneau’s Loren Jones was elected as the chairman of the Marijuana Control Board at its meeting in Juneau this week. He replaces outgoing chairman Mark Springer, who was replaced by Gov. Mike Dunleavy earlier this month.
Jones is retired from the State of Alaska. He has served eight years on Juneau Assembly, and is in his third term. Jones is an original member of the Marijuana Control Board.
During its meeting in Juneau, the board approved two new licenses for on-site consumption of marijuana by retailers, one in Ketchikan and one in Fairbanks. The Marijuana Control Board is a regulatory and quasi-judicial agency that controls cultivation, manufacture and sale of marijuana in the state.
On a vote of 3 to 2, the board approved applications by GoodSinse LLC in Fairbanks and Cannabis Corner, in Ketchikan.
Alaska’s onsite consumption regulations took effect in 2019 and require the smoking area be separated from the rest of the area by a secure door and that they have a separate ventilation system. They can also be outdoors. Companies offering onsite consumption need to have smoke-free areas for employees, where they can monitor consumption without being affected by secondhand smoke.