The Alaska Marijuana Control Board met Sept. 14 in Kotzebue and Sept. 16 in Anchorage to accept the next round of draft regulations, which are to be recommended to the Legislature and approved by Nov. 24. The board focused on marijuana cultivator regulations, one of the four designated marijuana business licenses included in regulations, along with manufacturers, retail stores, and testing facilities.

Three issues dominated discussion both in Kotzebue and in Anchorage: whether cultivator employees can consume cannabis on premises, limited cultivator operations, and product packaging.

Leif Abel, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Legislation, said he was actually encouraged by the topics’ relatively tame nature compared to the more heated security, zoning, and operational discussions for retail marijuana businesses in prior meetings. The fact that they’re arguing over smaller potatoes, he said, shows progress.

“All things considered, it’s good that we’re arguing over some these kind of...