In this June 9, 2016, file photo shows then-Alaska Marijuana Control Board member Brandon Emmett at the board’s meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Regulators amid much fanfare in early 2020 approved the first cannabis lounges in Alaska. It was a milestone for the state’s legal marijuana industry. Then the pandemic hit. An owner of one of the shops hopes to open later this year. An owner of the other said his shop opened briefly last fall before having to hit pause amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the state. Emmett, a former member of the Marijuana Control Board who strongly advocated for rules to allow onsite use, said he thinks the number of cannabis lounges or cafes in the state will be limited “for at least a couple years.” (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

In this June 9, 2016, file photo shows then-Alaska Marijuana Control Board member Brandon Emmett at the board’s meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Regulators amid much fanfare in early 2020 approved the first cannabis lounges in Alaska. It was a milestone for the state’s legal marijuana industry. Then the pandemic hit. An owner of one of the shops hopes to open later this year. An owner of the other said his shop opened briefly last fall before having to hit pause amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the state. Emmett, a former member of the Marijuana Control Board who strongly advocated for rules to allow onsite use, said he thinks the number of cannabis lounges or cafes in the state will be limited “for at least a couple years.” (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

Pandemic puts pause on on-site use for pot shops

Records show a small number of other shop owners have filed paperwork signaling plans to seek approval for consumption hangouts.

  • By Becky Bohrer Associated Press
  • Monday, March 22, 2021 10:57pm
  • NewsCoronavirus

By Becky Bohrer

Associated Press

JUNEAU — Regulators amid much fanfare in early 2020 approved two cannabis lounges in Alaska, making it one of the few states where customers would be allowed to use marijuana at retail pot shops.

Then the pandemic hit.

One of the sites opened briefly in Ketchikan in October, near the start of a statewide COVID-19 surge that an owner said forced it to hit pause. The other, in Fairbanks, hopes to open later this year.

Records show a small number of other shop owners have filed paperwork signaling plans to seek approval for consumption hangouts — where customers can smoke marijuana or eat or drink marijuana products — though the virus has caused some of them to delay their efforts too.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

One is Joe McAneney, who owns The High Expedition Co. in the tourist town of Talkeetna. He has long envisioned a two-story lounge behind his shop, with a “cigar bar feel” and views of the northern lights and Denali, North America’s highest peak. McAneney said he recently considered pursuing an interim plan, such as refurbishing old buses in which private parties could gather to partake for set blocks of time, but thought better of it.

“To start a new business and to spend money and create … a new thing during this time, to me, it’s not very responsible; it doesn’t make a lot of sense,” he said. McAneney said he aims to return to his original plan, with hopes to open for summer 2022.

He and other business owners say they have been able to weather the pandemic, even with last year’s crash in tourist numbers. Marijuana businesses were allowed to stay open, and he said he was pleased by the level of support from Alaskans and independent travelers.

The business also has found ways to run more efficiently, such as with online ordering, he said.

Dan Peters, an owner of GoodSinse in Fairbanks, said he was surprised by how many people were buying cannabis. “I think maybe even bulk amounts of purchasing were happening,” he said.

“I just assume that people are stuck at home and needed things to do,” he said. “That’s something fun that doesn’t cause too much trouble.”

GoodSinse was one of the first two businesses approved for on-site use by the state Marijuana Control Board in January 2020. Over the last year, Peters said he focused on other aspects of the business, which include retail, cultivation and manufacturing, because the pandemic — and social distancing — made it hard to create the experience he wanted for the planned café-style consumption area.

As more people are vaccinated, he said he expects to resume work on the consumption area and hopes to open it this summer.

Elsewhere in the U.S., a small number of cities, including in California, have authorized marijuana lounges. But Chris Lindsey, director of government relations with the Marijuana Policy Project, said on-site consumption is so new, “we don’t know yet if it’s a great business model.”

Lindsey said providing a place for people to use cannabis legally has been a driver in the push for these sites.

A major consideration for Alaska’s Marijuana Control Board in establishing rules for on-site use, for example, was giving tourists a place to smoke or consume edibles.

Smoking marijuana in public is prohibited in all states. In Colorado, property owners can ban marijuana in rental units.

Brandon Emmett, an executive with Good Titrations in Fairbanks, hopes to be able to open what he calls a cannabis café on April 20, a date on which marijuana users have long celebrated a love of cannabis. He said he thinks many residents “are ready to come out and have things be normal again.”

The business currently suggests patrons wear a mask, and it would “most likely” encourage people to wear one in the consumption area when they aren’t eating, drinking or smoking, he said. While some Alaska cities require masks in businesses, Fairbanks does not.

Emmett, a former member of the Marijuana Control Board who strongly advocated for rules to allow on-site use, said he thinks the number of cannabis lounges or cafés in the state will be limited “for at least a couple years.” He cites rules dealing with ventilation and other building restrictions, which he supported, and what could be a second year without major cruise ships visiting Alaska.

Emmett said he feels a strong sense of accountability in moving forward.

“There is very much a light shining on us, and it is imperative that we at Good Titrations set the example for how it could be done responsibly,” he said.

More in News

Protesters gather for a protest against Medicaid cuts at the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Alaskans across the state rally to save Medicaid: their ‘lifeline’

Caregivers raise their voices to protect their jobs and the thousands of lives impacted if Medicaid is cut.

Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (I-Sitka) offers an overview of House Bill 69 during Wednesday’s floor session. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
House passes education bill with $1,000 BSA increase as state’s fiscal situation grows bleaker

Senate majority likely to trim hike to $680 while legislators also seek policy deal with governor.

U.S. Coast Guard officer Alexander Curran shows Homer visitors the bow of the USCG cutter Naushon on Aug. 4, 2023, in Homer, Alaska. (Emilie Springer/ Homer News.)
USCG cutter Naushon to be decommissioned  

A ceremony honoring the soon-to-be retired ship will be held on Friday, March 21 on the Homer Spit.

Chris Keithley, 2024 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament champion, poses with his prize fish after the awards ceremony at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Winter King Tournament scheduled for March 22

This year’s event will be held at the Deep Water Dock at 4667 Freight Dock Road.

A group of volunteers during the 2024 K-Bay Sea Duck Survey. Two boats duplicate the same survey in the same area at the same time to help ensure accuracy. (Photo courtesy of Bjorn Larson)
Homer bird enthusiasts prepare for annual sea duck count

The count aims to ensure a proper and consistent population estimate before the ducks begin their April migration.

Community members hold up protest signs during the Stand for Democracy Rally on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025, at WKFL Park in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
‘We haven’t lost our democracy yet’

Homer community protests amid sweeping federal changes.

tease
Homer man sentenced for illegally transporting black bears

Travis Larson pleaded guilty to four counts of violating the Lacey Act in October 2024.

Girl Scout Troop 210, which includes Caitlyn Eskelin, Emma Hindman, Kadie Newkirk and Lyberty Stockman, present their “Bucket Trees” to a panel of judges in the 34th Annual Caring for the Kenai Competition at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Caring for the Kenai announces 12 finalists

The final presentations will take place on April 17 in Kenai.

Daaljíni Mary Cruise, left, offers encouragement to participants in a Unity for the Queer Community rally at the Alaska State Capitol on Sunday afternoon. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Hundreds participate in Juneau LGBTQ+ rally as Trump administration seeks to erase letters and rights

President’s actions to stop “woke” are putting people’s safety and health at risk, participants say.

Most Read