Alaska Marijuana Laws (2026): Possession, Limits and Where to Buy

By James Buddsey · Updated October 30, 2026

Yes. Under Alaska marijuana laws, adults 21 and older can legally possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants at home, and they can buy from stores licensed by the state Marijuana Control Board. Public consumption is a violation with a fine of up to $100, stores may sell no more than 1 ounce of flower, 7 grams of concentrate and 5,600 mg of THC per person per day, and some licensed stores can let customers consume on site. This is the law as of October 2026.

Alaska voters legalized adult-use marijuana in 2014, and the state lets some licensed stores run on-site consumption areas. This guide, for residents and visitors, links each rule to its source. It is general information, not legal advice.

Alaska Cannabis Laws at a Glance

Is Marijuana Legal in Alaska?

Yes, for adults 21 and over. Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2 at the November 4, 2014 general election, 53.23% to 46.77%, according to the Alaska Division of Elections official results. It became chapter 17.38 of the Alaska Statutes.

Under AS 17.38.020, people 21 and older may possess, use, buy and transport 1 ounce or less of marijuana and marijuana accessories, grow a small number of plants, and give away up to 1 ounce and up to six immature plants to another adult, as long as nothing is paid in return. The law’s statement of purpose, AS 17.38.010, says it does not reduce the right to privacy recognized by the Alaska Supreme Court in Ravin v. State, the case that first protected some private home possession.

Outside those protections, marijuana is a schedule VIA controlled substance under AS 11.71.190. It also remains illegal under federal law for adult use. See our guide to federal marijuana law in 2026.

How Much Cannabis Can You Possess and Buy in Alaska

The personal possession limit for adults is 1 ounce or less of marijuana. Home growers may also keep their plants’ harvest where it was grown.

Stores have a daily sales cap under 3 AAC 306.355. A store may not sell any one person, per day, more than:

• 1 ounce of usable marijuana
• 7 grams of marijuana concentrate for inhalation
• 5,600 milligrams of THC in combined sales of marijuana and marijuana products

Under 3 AAC 306.560, a single serving may contain no more than 10 mg of active THC, and a package of an edible product may contain no more than 10 servings or 100 mg of THC.

Penalties for possessing more

Possessing 1 ounce or more of marijuana outside what AS 17.38 allows is misconduct involving a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a class A misdemeanor, under AS 11.71.050. Selling 1 ounce or more, or possessing it with intent to sell, is a class C felony under AS 11.71.040.

Where You Can and Cannot Use Cannabis in Alaska

“It is unlawful to consume marijuana in public,” says AS 17.38.040. A violation is a non-criminal offense punishable by a fine of up to $100.

“In public” is defined broadly in 3 AAC 306.990: any place the public or a substantial group of people can access, including highways, transportation facilities, parks, schools, businesses, and hotel and apartment hallways and lobbies.

Property owners can ban it: AS 17.38.220 lets landlords, employers, schools, hospitals and any other entity that controls private property prohibit possession or use there.

On-site consumption at licensed stores

The one exception to the public-use ban is a retail store with an onsite consumption endorsement approved by the Marijuana Control Board under 3 AAC 306.370, unless local law prohibits it. The rules:

• Any endorsed store may allow consumption of edibles in an indoor or outdoor area. Smoking or vaping is allowed only at a freestanding store, in an area walled off from the rest of the store with a separate ventilation system.
• A store may sell for on-site use no more than 1 gram of flower, 25 mg of THC in edibles, and one vape device with no more than 0.3 grams of concentrate per person per day. Concentrate may not be consumed on site any other way.
• The store may serve food and nonalcoholic drinks, but no alcohol.

Not every store has an endorsement, so ask first.

Alaska Dispensary Rules: ID, Hours and Pickup

• ID: Stores must refuse a sale unless the customer shows valid photo ID proving they are 21 or older: an unexpired passport, a driver’s license or ID card from any U.S. state or territory or a Canadian province or territory, or a tribal ID card, under 3 AAC 306.350.
• Hours: Stores may not do business or let customers in between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., under 3 AAC 306.310. Local governments can set tighter hours under AS 17.38.210.
• Online orders and windows: Under 3 AAC 306.380, a store with board approval may serve customers through a walk-up or drive-through window, and may take online or phone orders. Orders must be paid for and picked up in person.
• Local bans: Cities and boroughs may prohibit stores and other marijuana businesses by ordinance or voter initiative, and established villages may do so by local option election, under AS 17.38.210 and AS 17.38.300. Adult possession stays legal there.

Medical Marijuana in Alaska

Alaska’s medical law, AS 17.37, predates adult use and remains in force; AS 17.38.230 says legalization does not limit patients’ rights. The Department of Health keeps a confidential registry and issues wallet-sized registry cards, according to its Medical Marijuana Registry Card page.

• Qualifying conditions under AS 17.37.070: cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, or a chronic or debilitating disease that causes cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures or persistent muscle spasms, plus any condition the department approves.
• Physician statement: required, after an in-person examination.
• Limits under AS 17.37.040: 1 ounce of usable marijuana and six plants, no more than three mature and flowering. Patients may not use it in public.

Adults 21 and older already have the same limits under AS 17.38, so the registry matters most for younger patients and caregivers.

Growing Cannabis at Home in Alaska

Adults 21 and older may grow up to six plants, with three or fewer mature and flowering, under AS 17.38.020. No more than 12 plants, with six or fewer flowering, may be in a single dwelling, no matter how many adults live there. The rules in AS 17.38.030:

• Plants must not be visible to the public without binoculars, aircraft or other optical aids.
• The grower must take reasonable steps to secure the plants from unauthorized access.
• You must grow on property you lawfully possess, or with the consent of whoever does.

Breaking these conditions is a violation with a fine of up to $750. Landlords can ban growing in rentals.

Driving and Cannabis in Alaska

Alaska does not set a THC blood limit. Under AS 28.35.030, it is a crime to drive a motor vehicle, fly an aircraft or operate a watercraft while under the influence of any controlled substance, which includes marijuana.

A first DUI is a class A misdemeanor carrying a mandatory minimum of 72 consecutive hours in jail, a fine of at least $1,500, license revocation, and at least six months with an ignition interlock device after the license is restored.

Taking Cannabis Out of Alaska, on Planes and on Cruise Ships

Every licensed store must post signs, under 3 AAC 306.365, warning that carrying marijuana on Alaska waterways, including cruise ships, or by air carrier is prohibited by federal law, and that shipping it outside the state is prohibited by federal law.

• Flying: the TSA follows federal law and refers cannabis found at screening to police. This applies to in-state flights too.
• Federal land: national parks, national forests, military bases and other federal property follow federal law, where adult-use marijuana is illegal.
• Canada and the Lower 48: carrying cannabis across the border into Canada, or mailing it to Washington or any other state, is illegal under federal law. See our Washington marijuana laws guide for the rules on the other end.

Alaska Cannabis Taxes in 2026

Alaska taxes marijuana by weight at wholesale. Under AS 43.61.010, licensed cultivation facilities pay an excise tax when they sell to a store or a product manufacturer. Rates set by the Alaska Department of Revenue, in effect since January 1, 2019:

• $50 per ounce of mature bud or flower
• $25 per ounce of immature or abnormal bud
• $15 per ounce of trim
• $1 per clone

It is built into the shelf price. Alaska has no statewide sales tax on cannabis, which is why lawmakers have debated adding one (Anchorage Daily News, March 2026).

What Changed in Alaska Cannabis Law Recently

• Tax reform stalled (2025 to 2026): HB 91, which would have cut the weight-based tax to $12.50 per ounce and moved toward a 6% sales tax, saw little movement in the 34th Legislature, and HB 119 stalled in the House Rules Committee, Alaska Public Media reported in August 2026. The $50 rate still applies as of October 2026.
• Federal rescheduling (2026): in April 2026 the Justice Department moved marijuana held under a state medical marijuana license, and FDA-approved marijuana products, to Schedule III. Adult-use marijuana remains in Schedule I; the broader hearing was stayed September 29, 2026.
• Federal hemp redefinition (2026): a federal law signed November 12, 2025 moves hemp to a total-THC standard, caps finished hemp products at 0.4 mg total THC per container, and excludes synthesized cannabinoids. Products with cannabinoids the plant cannot naturally produce, such as THC-O, lose hemp status November 12, 2026; the rest of the law, including the THC cap and the ban on delta-8 made from CBD, takes effect December 11, 2026.

Alaska Marijuana Laws FAQ

More State and Federal Cannabis Law Guides

See our guide to cannabis laws in every state, and read our federal marijuana law guide for rescheduling and hemp updates. Flying south? The Washington marijuana laws guide covers Seattle and the rest of the state, and our Washington dispensary directory lists every licensed store there.

Neighboring state guides: Washington · All state cannabis laws

General information about Alaska cannabis law as of October 2026, not legal advice.