As a Canadian, I’m used to being forgotten about. So I’m well aware that MJBI and many other cannabis publications haven’t been keeping as close a watch as possible on your great state. But we’re already starting to make things right. Consider this the next step.
Here are eight Alaskan dispensaries doing fascinating things in The Last Frontier.
Stoney Moose
Selling recreational cannabis remains illegal in Italy — but who needs Venice when the US has its own paddle-up dispensary on home soil? Located in Ketchikan’s historic Creek Street (Google some pics to see why the name is fitting), kayakers can easily glide up to the riverbank and walk right into The Stoney Moose. While the exterior is cool, the interior might be the most impressive part. See, Creek Street was once the area’s red light district in the early 1900s. The Stoney Moose honors that tradition with a speakeasy-themed interiorthat serves home-grown organic flower and award-winning edibles.
Catalyst
Anyone who’s visited Alaska knows the state is absolutely gorgeous, and Catalyst is doing its part to keep it that way. The three-location Anchorage chain runs a reusable jar program for its flower and encourages all its customers to recycle at the shop and at home. The business also grows its own flower in living soils, with OMRI-listed and CDFA-registered fertilizers.
Enlighten
This family-owned Anchorage shop began with a higher mission. Jane and her two kids, Leah and Evan, supported Jane’s mother through her cancer recovery as compassionate caretakers, helping her get cannabis-infused products to help with her pain and nausea. Once recreational cannabis got the green light, a family partnership began, the doors opened in 2017, and the rest is history. Today, Enlighten is one of the most well-reviewed shops in Anchorage and employs twenty people.
Bad Gramm3r
Bad Gramm3r was started by three friends (Peter, Terri and Casey) who dreamed since the ‘70s of opening a weed store where anyone could walk in and choose something to smoke. Not only did they accomplish what must have seemed like a pipe dream at the time, but they’re now a highly touted but beginner-friendly shop — and a Best of Weedmaps nominee. But never let it be said that quality has to come at the expense of quantity. The store also carries the largest selection of flower, concentrates and pre-rolls in the entire state (at least, it claims to). Bad Gramm3r has two locations — one in Wasilla and one in Palmer.
The Honey Pot
This is where Santa gets his zaza. Located in North Pole, Alaska, The Honey Pot is a relative newcomer, opening in November, 2020. (If you’re curious, North Pole is actually south of Fairbanks — but still, pretty high up there.) The shop partners with two local sister farms — AK Green Bee and Blue Bear Cannafarm) for its flower. It also sells excellent kitsch, like this sick wolf carving. The Honey Pot is also owned by three women entrepreneurs who are rightly proud of breaking through the barrier of male ownership that dominates the industry.
Tip Top
Alaska cannabis museum? Say no more. Tip Top, located in Anchorage, is home to a series of exhibits about the history of cannabis in Alaska. The shop bills itself as the largest and most beautiful in the state. The main draw for those with four-legged friends could be Tip Top’s Top Dog photo contest. Last year it offered hundreds of dollars in store credit, CBD treats and other goodies, for the best dog pics in categories like “Cutest,” “Alaskan Adventure” and “Smiling/Stoned Look.” Plus, they’re friends with Stoney Moose, and sell some of the shop’s edibles.
Good Titrations
The consumption lounge inside this Fairbanks spot is reason enough to visit. Good Titrations has a bunch of ‘70s-inspired restaurant booths, some of which have big windows that look into its grow op and production facility — like how you can see into the kitchen at a fancy restaurant. The place is riddled with gorgeous wood furniture and pops of colorful vinyl. Seriously good vibes. Good Titrations is focused on producing high-quality in-house concentrates, promising unmatched color, quality and taste. They also sell flower, edibles, vapes and more.
Uncle Herb’s
First of all, look at these trichomes. Now that you’ve cleaned the drool off your face: Uncle Herb’s wants you to know that Uncle Herb is an idea. He’s the cool older guy who introduced you to weed. He taught you guitar or took you fly fishing, encouraging you “to go with the flow and embrace living in the moment,” according to the shop’s site. The business has three locations — two in Anchorage and one in Homer. And it’s apparently doing well, since it’s opening another spot in Anchorage on March 1.
