Now, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will review applications for licenses to operate marijuana businesses. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Commission had already reviewed such applications prior to the Assembly.
During their Tuesday night meeting, the assembly members unanimously agreed on the adjustment.
In a statement dated June 23 to assembly members, Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Director Robert Ruffner said that the borough planning commission’s evaluation of marijuana business license applications “is an unnecessary extra regulatory step.” To make sure the application conforms with local rules, the borough’s planning staff will still provide a report, Ruffner wrote.
When the Assembly is ultimately the body that provides a non-binding recommendation to the Marijuana Control Board, Ruffner wrote, “it is duplicative to have the Planning Commission hold public hearings on marijuana establishment license applications and also have the Assembly hold a public hearing on the same application.”
The same rule also harmonizes the borough’s definition of marijuana businesses with the State of Alaska’s definition, according to Ruffner. According to state law, “marijuana establishment” refers to both retail marijuana outlets and marijuana growing, testing, and manufacturing facilities.
The proposal, according to Assembly member Jesse Bjorkman, more closely conforms to the borough’s liquor licence standards. He expressed his support for the measure during the meeting on Tuesday. The municipality does not demand a planning commission recommendation for new or renewed liquor license applications.
The same laws and others like them should be used to control marijuana companies, according to Bjorkman. “There are many restrictions around alcohol and making sure that those firms operate in a responsible manner,” he said. “The Assembly’s action is a start in the correct approach to advance toward more regulation of marijuana companies like alcohol.”
Also read: Senate President of New Jersey Introduces Bill to Legalize Interstate Marijuana Trade
General Instruction
Each license must be applied for individually by the applicant.
A natural person or corporate organization may apply for a license to run a cannabis institution as the applicant. The applicant may use the same corporate entity and Federal Employer Identification Number to apply for each license. Still, they must have a different Maine State Sales Tax ID Number for each license if they want to file for more than one license.
To speed up the application process, the applicant is advised to apply online. Note: Avoid pressing the “back” button while completing the application. The applicant will time out all all material on each web page after 20 minutes of inactivity. It takes time to upload the necessary application documents.
It is advised that the applicant enter all information into the data fields and, when prompted for documents, choose “Submit information by mail or email OR upload later using the ‘Upload Outstanding Application Documents’ option on the Main Menu” to avoid losing information due to page inactivity during the uploading of a document.
The applicant will get a confirmation email with the pending license number and access code after submitting the online application. The applicant should not worry about losing data in the data collecting sections owing to an inactivity time out while uploading all necessary application documents through the Office of Cannabis Policy’s online licensing portal.
Regardless of how they are sent to the Office of Cannabis Policy, papers will be examined after the application is finished. “Complete” denotes the completion of the application, receipt of all required materials, and payment of the application cost.
The Office of Cannabis Policy cannot provide legal advice; if a candidate has concerns about how a legislation or regulation should be interpreted, the candidate should obtain legal counsel.
Also read: More Mississippi Cities Opt Out Of Medical Marijuana Program
Steps in the Process
- Before beginning the application process, the applicant must register if they are a business entity that needs to do so with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State.
- The candidate must provide a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
- Each principle (every officer, director, manager, and general partner) must submit an Individual Identification Card Application on behalf of the application. As long as it has been requested, the Individual Identification Card must not be provided before beginning the facility application.
Ideas for Better and faster Processing
- Before beginning the application procedure, the applicant should have the principals complete the necessary individual paperwork.
- Before beginning the application, the applicant should collect all ownership agreements, financial records, and corporate organization structure documentation.
- To ascertain the requirements of the operation and cultivation plan, the applicant should analyze the legislation and regulations (if applicable).
- The application should be sent to Maine Revenue Services at the email address shown on the form, directly from the applicant.
- The Office won’t start looking through a facility application until all the required paperwork and the application fee is submitted.
