And how to safely consume in a way that respects a, frankly, confounding patchwork of rules and regulations.
Alaska has long had permissive rules when it comes to cannabis, but following a 2014 ballot initiative, the state fully legalized recreational consumption for anyone 21 and older.
The big caveat there is that Alaska has almost no equivalents of bars for pot.
If you’re staying on private property, check the rules or with your host.
Even smaller towns that tend to see lots of summer tourists and cruise-ship passengers have multiple well-stocked businesses with a full range of products.
Shops abide by strict standards for ID’ing customers, so make sure you have your driver’s license or a state-issued ID handy when you enter.
The industry is still relatively new, and staff, especially budtenders, are accustomed to helping customers find what they are looking for, not dismiss or belittle people who are new to cannabis.
We are overwhelmingly a “mom and pop”-type cannabis industry, without the major corporate and heavily financed conglomerates that have begun to dominate in the Lower 48.
The caveat is that the range of options, particularly for more cutting edge and highly refined products, might be a bit smaller.
Businesses work hard to keep costs low for consumers, but you’re still likely to find familiar products a bit pricier than if you’re buying them in Seattle or Los Angeles.
Bud flower remains the most popular product in retail shops across the state, with plenty of strains and strengths to choose from.
It can be hit or miss wandering into a shop if you have a specific edible product in mind, so check the menu online or look up an edible manufacturer’s website and see where they supply their products.
As far as more avant-garde concentrate products go, from THC cartridges to sugar wax to live rosin offerings, Alaska lags just slightly behind what’s happening in major markets.