Wasilla weed backers fired up about possible pot ban

WASILLA — Marijuana industry hopefuls packed a Wasilla city council meeting to protest legislation that would outlaw retail sales within the borough’s commercial center.

About 20 members of the crowd spoke to city council members about the potential upside to retail sales, including sales tax revenue, jobs, and a reduction of black market sales. The retail ban is scheduled for a public hearing Jan. 25 in the city council chambers, but borough marijuana advisory council chair and planned cannabis entrepreneur Sarah Williams said the community was eager to inform council members ahead of a council vote, and began testimony against the measure at its Monday introduction, instead of waiting for the public hearing.

“Tonight, we start the discussion as a community,” she said.

Many who spoke rejected the ubiquitous “Cheech-and-Chong” stoner stereotype, like Shane Nelson, a licensed contractor who said he’s framed numerous Valley homes over the course of his career.

“In 2000, I moved here to the Valley and purchased a house,” he said. “I currently live here. I’m invested in this community. My children go to school here. I’m not a stoner in my mom’s basement.”

Others, like Timothy Clark, said legal marijuana business constituted a second chance at normal.

“I’ve been doing construction and dog sledding and whitewater rafting for the last 25 years, and quite honestly, my body’s beat,” he said. “I can’t continue to do that at 110 percent anymore. I’m going to get somebody killed. So the only thing I’m really passionate about now that I can physically do is cannabis cultivation. You don’t want me driving down to Anchorage every day to go work there. I’d rather work here.”

Mat-Su marijuana has a long-standing history and national profile, Tina White pointed out.

“It’s not just famous in this industry, it’s a legend,” she said of Valley-grown pot. “It will attract tourists to this Valley. Do we want to attract them to the highly regulated, monitored, restricted and licensed establishments, or promote the parking lot deals, where nothing is restricted, monitored, or taxed?”

Many speakers punctuated their comments with jokes, even as they protested an unfair deal, like longtime Valley advocate Bill Fikes.

“I’m a disabled veteran,” he said. “The VA prescribes me five drugs. I’ve been able to get rid of four of them. Cholesterol … apparently cannabis doesn’t do anything about cholesterol. But other drugs, including back pain medications, cannabis takes care of everything I need it to do.”

Similar bans have popped up throughout the Mat-Su and state, including Palmer — where voters opted to ban retail marijuana sales — and Houston, where voters soundly rejected a ban and where the city council planned to set zoning laws on the issue Thursday. Groups opposing commercial marijuana in Wasilla have previously said they’ve modeled their legislation on the Palmer ban, which featured former borough mayor Larry DeVilbiss as a co-sponsor.

Borough voters from outside city limits will also see the issue on the ballot during the Nov. 8 general election, about two years after statewide voters approved legalization. In the 2014 vote, polls showed borough and Wasilla against legalization, while Houston and Palmer voters narrowly in favor.

Contact Reporter Brian O’Connor at 352-2270, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.