Cannabis Culture In Alaska

Try topping this smoke spot.

Alaska tourism and cannabis are a match made in heaven.

WHY MARIJUASANA IS HEADING TO ALASKA

One of the best parts of what I do is the opportunity to travel and check out the cannabis culture in new locations. And playing tourist in Alaska has been on my bucket list for a long time. I'm bringing my brand of cannabis yoga classes to Anchorage, and will be teaching there December 30 - 31, 2017. It's going to be so dark, which means I'll hopefully get to see the Aurora Borealis. 

I want to know what cannabis culture is like in the Land of the Midnight Sun. I've had the privilege to experience weed culture in several states, both as a professional in the cannabis industry and as a consumer. With the exception of Alaska and Maine, I've visited every market where weed is recreationally legal. Colorado gets it's fair-share of attention for tourism and cannabis, and California steals the limelight every chance it gets. (And technically weed's not even recreationally legal there yet). All these other states have come on line, and somehow when it comes to the cannabis culture at large, Alaska gets ignored. The one thing everyone knows about in terms of marijuana in Alaska is Charlo Greene, the news reporter and co-founder of the Alaska Cannabis Club who dramatically resigned live on the air. But now that she's moved to California,, Alaska is forgotten, barely mentioned. Especially when it comes to cannabis. 

It follows suit with the way American culture ignores the largest state in the country. And evidently, Alaskans are basically okay with you not keeping them out of mind. I've been told that people move to Alaska to get away from the trappings and people from the Lower 48. That one friend who got busted for growing weed, who just disappeared and was never heard from again? He probably moved to Alaska. 

LIGHTS

One of the driving principles of my company is to bring community and acceptance to cannabis consumers. Because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, and social consumption laws are nearly non-existent, it forces cannabis culture to remain underground, creating the aura of "illicit" behavior, even in states where it is legal. It lends credence to the myth that we should still be ashamed for being open about our appreciation for cannabis.

I want to shine a light on the benefits of cannabis, and the wonderful people that smoke weed. And I believe that everyone should have a voice. Not just the investors who are jumping in to make money, not just the politicians who are paid by the pharmaceuticals industry to continue lying to us. Not just the lower 48 states that make the most noise. We all have something to contribute and those contributions should be recognized. For example, did you know that the state of Alaska is a pioneer in the movement to decriminalize and legalize and cannabis?  The Alaska Supreme Court decided in Ravin v. State (1975) that adults had a constitutional right for personal use of marijuana in the privacy of their home. This is notable because Alaska remains the only states to cite the constitutional right to privacy as a means for protection against prosecution of use and possession of marijuana.

So I want to go to Alaska to learn about their unique version of the cannabis industry. I want to include as many people as I can in the movement to frame cannabis as part of a healthy lifestyle. I want to do some cannabis tourism while I'm there and check out the Northern Lights.

If I start crying it will likely be because I'm viewing, not smoking it.