The legal status of cannabis in Alaska has varied greatly since the passage in 1972 of a constitutional amendment affirming an individual's right to privacy.
[1] The leader of the initiative campaign Alaskans for the Recriminalization of Marijuana was Marie Majewske, described as an "Anchorage grandmother".
[2] The initiative also received support from William Bennett, President Bush's Drug Czar, who planned to visit Alaska to campaign for the measure; the DEA and FBI also sponsored a Marijuana Myths and Misconceptions symposium in Anchorage.
[3] Opposition to the initiative was led by Alaskans for Privacy,[2] and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) gave top priority to defeating the initiative, contributing "nearly $16,000" to opposition efforts by late September.
[3] At the successful end of the campaign, Majewske announced: It's wonderful, I have great faith in the people of this state.