Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office FAQs on Public Comments & Regulations How do I submit my comments? Comments on each set of proposed regulations may be submitted during the date range assigned to that set by submitting the comment in writing to John Calder at john.calder@alaska.gov. Written comments may also be mailed to John Calder at 550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 1600, Anchorage, AK 99517 or dropped off in person at the same address during business hours. Written comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing the public notice of proposed regulations and clicking on the "Leave a Comment" link. Alaska Online Public Notice System How many sets of regulations will there be? We are anticipating that the regulations will be submitted for public comment in three sets. If the timeline permits, the regulations may be put out for a final comment period once each of the three sets is complete. It is anticipated that the enire set of regulations will be submitted for public comment from 10/5/15 - 11/11/15 When and where can I make an oral comment? Oral comments can only be received in a meeting of the full Marijuana Control Board. There will be one hearing set for receipt of oral public comments on the entire package of regulations (Sets 1, 2 and 3) after each set has gone out individually for written public comment. It is anticipated that the meeting to receive oral comments will be October 15 & 16, 2015. Please continue to check the website for updates on board meeting dates. What if I have a question? You may submit a question in writing in the exact manner described for submission of a comment and it will be answered if the question is submitted at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. Public Comments are displayed on the board website. Questions and answers are displayed on a separate page on the website. Can’t I just call and ask the staff my question so that I can get it answered faster? Questions and comments must be submitted in writing because the public notice states that questions and comments must be submitted in writing. The process is governed by the Administrative Procedures Act. If the agency deviates from the process in the notice, we may be required to start over on that set of regulations. The timeline does not have enough leeway for restarts, so the agency must strictly comply with APA rules. Where is the forum for public comments where I can comment on other people’s comments? No such forum exists. You can view other people’s comments by set by looking for the page titled “Public Comments Set 1” (or Set 2 or 3 as they go up). This comment page is static and will be built out by the staff as we receive comments. The most recent comments will be on top. Why do some of the comments seem to be irrelevant or off-topic? The staff is required to post all comments received if the comment was submitted as required in the public notice. No comments will be edited unless the comment uses obscene language or is otherwise clearly inappropriate for posting in public view. The comments are presumed to be relevant to the set on which they were submitted. I submitted a question, but the answer posted said the question cannot be answered. I thought you were not editing? Comments are posted as received. Questions are supposed to be pertaining to the set of regulations on which they are submitted. If a question cannot be answered from the set of regulations on which it was received, that will be indicated on the question and answer page. How will the board take my comments into consideration? The board will have three meetings on each set of proposed regulations. The second meeting on each set is the meeting where the board will review written public comment and questions and vote on revisions to the set of regulations. The board will then set a final meeting date to review that set of regulations as revised. What if the board completely changes the regulations? Will I get to comment on the changes? If the board makes substantial changes to the proposed regulations such that they are substantially different than the regulations submitted for public comment, the board must post the revised regulations for another 30 day public comment period. Where can I find the timeline for the regulations process? The timeline is posted under the Marijuana Board Links. The timeline posted is the most recent timeline prepared for the board. If the board adjusts the timeline at any of its meetings, a new timeline will be posted. How can I be notified when a new set of regulations is posted for public comment? You can sign up under the link title Marijuana Public Interest Form. By entering an email address, you will be on a list that receives an email when regulations are posted for public comment or when the FAQ’s are supplemented or revised. Where can I go look at the APA to see the rules for this process myself? The rules governing the promulgation of regulations is in AS 44.62. The drafting manual for administrative regulations is found at http://law.alaska.gov/doclibrary/drafting_manual.html. Is the process designed to solicit or discourage input from the public? The board wants public input and comment on the regulation. The process is designed to withstand legal scrutiny and comply with the Administrative Procedure Act. The agency’s staff must account for all public comment, so the public comment process is limited to the methods described in the public notice. However, it is easy to comment by email or by clicking on the comment submission button in the Online Public Notice system. The more comments received, the better the regulations will be.