Alaska Votes to Use Marijuana Tax Revenue to Prevent Underage Use

Alaska lawmakers voted to permit a portion of the marijuana tax revenue to create and fund an education program to prevent underage marijuana use. Twenty-five percent of the tax revenue will go toward the campaign. The legislation was sponsored by Senator Cathy Giessel.

Giessel estimates that teen marijuana use is higher than teen tobacco use, according to KTVA 11 News. The new program will consist of five parts. A key part of it will be a marijuana misuse prevention program.

Other components include:

• Public education to hinder teen use including education about the effects of marijuana use. The laws will also be discussed in this program
• Youth and adult survey to gauge public knowledge, awareness use and attitude toward marijuana
• Public health monitoring of marijuana use
• Treatment, referral, intervention and drug screening provisions are also included

Giessel said, “We actually have the highest percentage of kids starting at age 12 and above using marijuana, compared to other states that have commercialized it. All the other states have a program such as we’ve set up in this bill that I carried, so that’s why it’s urgent that we get a program set-up as well.”