In February 2015, Alaska became one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana with a 53% vote in favor of the drug. Even though cannabis was made legal in the state, it took another year for Alaska to approve cannabis retail stores and manufacturers. Now, since the state has approved full legalization, the industry has grown, affecting Alaska’s economy in a number of ways.
Tag Archives: Fairbanks
Early Numbers Show Alaskan Towns Rejecting Local Marijuana Bans
Three years after Alaska residents voted to legalize recreational marijuana, some Alaskan towns were still mulling whether to ban commercial cultivation and retail sales of the drug.
Freeze in Fairbanks: Marijuana Demand Outpaces Supply
Fairbanks, Alaska, welcomed its first two dispensaries on Oct. 31, 2016, and a third on Dec. 11, but demand for legal marijuana has outpaced supply, forcing all three of the city’s dispensaries to close temporarily.
Merry Cannabis: Santa Claus Supports Legalization
In the city of North Pole, Alaska, an unlikely ally for marijuana legalization has emerged: Santa Claus. According to KTUU, the jolly old saint has been speaking out against Proposition 7, a local ballot initiative passed in October that banned the commercial sale of marijuana in the city.
Green Light in the Golden Heart City: Dispensaries Open in Fairbanks
On Oct. 31, 2016, Alaska welcomed the opening of two more dispensaries, with Frozen Budz and Pakalolo Supply Company both opening up shop in Fairbanks.
North to the Future: Alaska Opens First Recreational Dispensary
After nearly two long years of waiting, Alaska’s first recreational marijuana dispensary opened on Oct. 29, 2016. Opening at noon in Valdez, Herbal Outfitters was met with long lines from anxious customers ready to purchase marijuana legally for the first time.
Fairbanks is Shaping Up to be the Center of Alaska’s Marijuana Industry
FAIRBANKS — On a warm, cloudless Memorial Day, Mike Emers surveyed his domain at Rosie Creek Farm. Emers has owned the family farm for 16 years, a spacious plot cut from the Interior Alaska wilderness.