Indie Alaska

I almost can't believe it.

Like, I walk in here and be like, Oh, it smells like someones smoking weed in here.

Like, Oh, well, yeah, it's a cannabis cafe.

So we grow, process and sell marijuana.

What can I get for you guys today?

Looking for pre-rolls or flower?

Pre-Rolls.

This is a safe space to come to and enjoy your day.

Smoke a little cannabis and drink coffee.

And that's why I said coffee and cannabis.

I'm a retired military guy.

After 20 years of service, broken back, parachute jumping been to combat, PTSD, all of that.

So I got legally licensed.

That allowed me to either grow myself or have somebody else grow for me.

In the beginning, it was weird with the intense enhancement I got, but as your body adjusts to it.

You know, now I can consume cannabis on a regular basis and it may not be for everybody.

But you know what?

It's a personal choice.

All I know is where I'm at today.

I'm alive because of cannabis.

It saved my life.

One thing that I think is really important is just that equality piece where there's people that aren't allowed to smoke in like their government housing or if they're in a nursing home, you know, you can't be in public consuming it.

You can't be driving while you're consuming it.

So it just gives another level of access to people.

All I know is I'm thankful for this one.

And this was the first licensed Cannabis Cafe business, right?

I get that right?

Yeah, it is kind of a big deal.

You know, we try to be pretty modest about it, but it's something that we had worked on for years.

We were the first marijuana cafe in the US to be state licensed.

When marijuana was legalized in the state of Alaska.

The regulations contemplated the ability to have onsite consumption cafes but none existed.

And so my colleagues, partners and I worked tirelessly for about five years to be able to bring it from inception of the concept to fruition of the cafe like you see here.

I got some questions from some board members about that cultivation thing coming back again.

So I was one of the first five members of the Marijuana Control Board.

I was appointed by Governor Walker in 2015.

The Marijuana Control Board and their staff were tasked with creating the framework of regulations that were in support of the legislation that was passed.

And then it wasn't for another, say, two years, two and a half years that we actually got to the point in the regulations process where we approved cannabis cafes.

What I enjoy the most about cannabis is the plant itself.

It's one of the prettiest smelling flowers that I can think of.

I like how it brings people together.

Most people prefer to consume a joint together versus on their own.

I love its history.

How It's one of the oldest cultivars out of any plant that we have in agriculture.

It's an interesting plant in that it heals, I think, humans, and it can also heal the planet.

You know, we got into growing the hemp, CBD, CBG for medicinal reasons, for oils, for salves to help cure humans.

Right?

To be part of the solution.

Obviously, there are wonderful uses for water conservation.

It uses so much less water than cotton.

So for fibers, hemp is a great use.

It can literally heal the earth, right?

If you plant this hemp in a toxic zone, it pulls out heavy metals.

This plant will do that.

Right?

But something that we're immediately working with is hempcrete.

So it's a mixture of concrete and the sort of inner husks of the hemp plant, which is an incredible source of insulation, especially in Arctic areas.

That really kind of reduces the need for energy consumption.

A substance isn't truly legal unless it's accepted publicly.

I had seen how much damage had been done to our community by Prohibition.

The worst part about smoking a joint was getting caught with it.

And I just thought that was wrong.

I love Alaska.

It's a great state, It's my home and it just didn't sit well with me that I could be an emergency responder for my day job and be one of the good guys.

And then when I went home at night, if I smoked marijuana that my friends and I were somehow bad.

And marijuana prohibition was just something that needed a change.

And I felt I was well-suited to help make that change.

So here we are.