Marijuana board chair's own store violation goes before the board they chair Sept. 2

Alaska Marijuana Control Board Chair Bailey Stuart is scheduled to chair a meeting Wednesday at which the board takes up a violation against Stuart's own retail license. Stuart is chief operations officer of Green Jar LLC.

The violation is small. State regulators cited the shop in July after an overhead door was left unlocked following exterior concrete work, a breach of the security rules licensees operate under. The fine is $100. The licensee accepted responsibility, and Stuart asked that the citation be downgraded. AMCO Director Kevin Richard is recommending the board do that, replacing the violation with an advisory notice.

Three other licensees, Enlighten Gardens, Hidden Farms and Tip Top Cannabis, appear on the agenda in the same category.

What the agenda does not say is whether Stuart will step aside. State ethics rules require a board member to declare a conflict on the record but leave the decision to abstain up to the member. Ordinarily the chair rules on whether another member has a conflict. When it is the chair, that call goes to the governor.

Public comment is at 1 pm Wednesday, three minutes per speaker.