Alaska Mayors Group Rallies Against Pot

The Alaska Conference of Mayors has come out against a ballot initiative that would regulate marijuana like alcohol.

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The coalition passed a resolution opposing Proposition 2 out of concerns over cost and safety at their summer meeting on August 13, and signed the document on Wednesday. The organization is also donating $5,000 to the political action group Big Marijuana Big Mistake to help their campaign.

The Alaska Conference of Mayors represents nearly 100 communities across the state. The vote on the resolution was unanimous, but only a quarter of members were present for it. The Mat-Su Borough and the cities of Fairbanks, Kodiak, Bethel, Wasilla, and Sitka were the largest communities to give an affirmative vote on the measure.

Proposition 2 spokesperson Taylor Bickford called the decision “unfortunate,” given that alcohol is already sold in many of these communities.