By ANNE SUTTON
Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska- Three years after this state’s top court legalized the use of small amounts of marijuana, Gov. Frank Murkowski signed a bill recriminalizing the drug.
The law - signed Friday - will be challenged in court, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, leading to a likely judicial review of the state’s marijuana laws.
Another provision of the bill, which is not in dispute, would make it tougher to buy ingredients used in making methamphetamine.
In a press release, Murkowski said the state’s current marijuana laws send the wrong message to Alaska’s youth.
While the Supreme Court court ruled three decades ago that the right to privacy was far more important than any harm that could result from use of the drug, Murkowski says marijuana is a far more potent and dangerous drug now than it was in the 1970s.
Under the new law, pot possession of 4 ounces (113 grams) or more is a felony. Possession of less than 4 ounces (113 grams) but more than an ounce (28 grams) is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail. Less than one ounce (28 ounces) is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.