Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed August 11, 2020
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Many states began loosening their marijuana laws in the 1990s, while California and a growing number of other states have legalized the medical use of cannabis. Some states have even legalized the recreational use of marijuana, beginning with Colorado in 2012. But federal law continues to list marijuana as a Schedule I drug (along with heroin and other hard drugs), despite public opinion and published studies on its medical efficacy. Federal marijuana laws are also likely to change, since there is more support among voters and states that have legalized it have been largely left alone.
There is a wide discrepancy among state marijuana laws, ranging from full legalization for adults (similar to how alcohol is regulated) to laws imposing prison sentences for the possession of relatively small amounts.
Marijuana is legal in Alaska for both medical and recreational users, with some restrictions. It is legal to grow your own herb and possess up to one ounce (4 ounces in your private residence), but it is still illegal to sell or consume in public.
Additional details about Alaska's current marijuana laws are listed in the following table. See FindLaw's Drug Charges and Patient Rights sections for more information.
| Code Section | 11.71.060, et seq. |
| Possession | Less than 1 oz. for personal use: none; up to 4 oz. in your private residence: none; 1 - 4 oz. in public: misdemeanor (up to 1 yr. and/or $1,000); more than 4 oz.: felony (up to 5 yrs. and/or $50,000); any amount within 500 ft. of school grounds or recreation center: unclassified felony (up to 5 yrs. and/or $50,000) |
| Sale | Less than 1 oz.: misdemeanor (1 yr. and/or $10,000); more than 1 oz.: felony (5 yrs. and/or $50,000); to a person under 19 who is 3 years or more younger than the seller: felony (10 yrs. and/or $100,000) |
| Cultivation | Up to 6 plants (3 mature) in a secure, private location permitted; 25 plants or more a felony (5 yr. and/or $1,000). |
| Medical Marijuana | Eligible patients or their approved caregivers may possess up to 1 oz. of usable marijuana (up to 4 oz. in one's home), and may grow up to 6 plants (3 mature) |
Note: State laws are subject to change at any time through the decisions of higher courts, the enactment of new legislation, and other means. You may want to contact an Alaska drug crime attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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