Election Notes Alaska

The nation's most liberal pot law went up in smoke last week. By a vote of 55%, Alaskans decided to recriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and sock offenders with up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. | State Representative Alyce Hanley, one of the leading supporters of the anti- pot Ballot Measure 2, cheered the results and congratulated voters for "sending out a strong message against drugs."

In practice, the measure may not amount to much more than a message. Officials say they will not budget much money for its enforcement, and supporters of the referendum expect the police to arrest offenders only if they find marijuana in the course of investigating another incident. Even so, the recriminalization of marijuana is expected to be challenged soon in the Alaska courts, where 15 years ago the last anti-grass law was mowed down on privacy grounds.