Pubdate: Wed, 13 Apr 2016 Source: Alaska Dispatch News (AK) Copyright: 2016 Alaska Dispatch Publishing Contact: http://www.adn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18 Note: Anchorage Daily News until July '14 Author: Kathleen R. Jones BOROUGHS THAT OPT OUT ON LEGAL POT SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO COLLECT TAX DOLLARS For the sake of 149,021 Alaska residents who voted in favor of legalizing marijuana in our state, let's go over this again ... we voted (and won!) due to the carefully researched wording of the bill. It read that marijuana would be "regulated the same as alcohol" and we also believed this sale "regulated the same as alcohol" would bring in many tax dollars, which our state needs even more badly now than in 2014. So, the powers that be in Mat-Su have decided that: 1. They are going out of their way to make sure it is NOT "regulated the same as alcohol" with measures beyond the norm. 2. If Alaska is following Colorado's lead, then any borough that does not favorably pass the law would receive zero tax dollars. Help me to understand why our 149,021 votes didn't count. Reminds many of us again when we voted twice (and won!) to move the capital from Juneau. - - Kathleen R. Jones Palmer - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom