License granted to Alaska testing company AK Green Labs LLC.

Steep Hill, the global industry leader in cannabis testing and analytics, today announced it has licensed its cannabis testing technologies to a highly-respected team of scientists who have plans to open Steep Hill Alaska as a full service cannabis quality assurance laboratory in Anchorage, Alaska, bringing advanced scientific tools and methodology to the state. 

The first seven marijuana entrepreneurs on the Kenai Peninsula received their state approvals on Thursday and Friday.

The state Marijuana Control Board gave its stamp of approval last week to four standard cultivators and five limited cultivators on the peninsula. Two licenses were issued in Kasilof, two in the Nikiski area, one in Homer, one in Sterling and one just outside Soldotna. Two growers in Seward, Stony Creek Growers and Budding Alaska, were delayed because the board members still had questions for the applicants. The board will review those two again at its July 7 meeting.

Alaska regulators were applauded Thursday as they approved the first licenses for legal marijuana growing and testing facilities — another milestone for the fledgling industry.

Priority was being given to growing and testing operations to ensure that retail stores will have legal product to sell. The first retail licenses are expected to be issued later this year.

Thirty applications were on the agenda Thursday at a meeting of the Marijuana Control Board in Anchorage. Two were for testing facilities. The rest were for grow operations.

The first application approved came from CannTest LLC of Anchorage, a marijuana testing facility. The action was greeted by applause and cheers.

“That’s history right there, folks,” board member Brandon Emmett said.

On a warm, cloudless Memorial Day, Mike Emers surveyed his domain at Rosie Creek Farm. Emers has owned the family farm for 16 years, a spacious plot cut from the Interior Alaska wilderness. It was the last day the farm would exist in its current iteration. After that, its transformation to a cannabis growing facility would begin.

The next day, an 8-foot fence went up around the perimeter, satisfying part of the state's security requirements for the new legal marijuana industry.

Perhaps as important for Emers, the fence will keep moose out of the potentially lucrative cannabis crop.

On Thursday, the state will meet to begin approving marijuana licenses for cultivation and testing facilities. There are 30 potential businesses up for review, including Arctic Herbery in Anchorage.

Real estate agent Bryant Thorp hopes to open the small boutique grow operation on Arctic Boulevard near 71st Avenue. For many, the dream of opening a marijuana business in Alaska has been years in the making, which is why Thorp made sure to get his application in early.

I recently did a TEDx talk on the development of “Big Marijuana.” The overall theme of this particular TED session was the “Potential in Polarity,” and/or the “Best of Both Worlds.” Given these two themes, my talk focused on whether state-legal marijuana is helping to create “Big Marijuana.” My talk was released on YouTube last week and you can view it here. But for those of you who don’t want to spend 18 minutes watching my presentation, this post summarizes my talk.

The second Northwest Cannabis Classic trade show at the Dena‘ina Civic and Convention Center over the weekend had plenty of free giveaways, including marijuana leaf stickers and lighters. A few exhibitor booths even had edibles suchas candies and cookies.

But they wouldn’t get you high.

"These aren’t infused,” said Martin Christensen of the Oracle Cookie Company, pointing at the elaborately flavored cookies he had laid out for convention attendees to try. “The cops actually came over and asked me, ‘Are these infused?’ ”

Anchorage Police Department Sgt. Josh Nolder and two other officers walked the convention floor to make sure pot wasn't being consumed, bought or sold.

Sara Williams just isn’t that comfortable with handling $10 million in cash.

Williams is the CEO of Midnight Greenery, a retail store she and co-owner Tina Smith plan to open in Anchorage this year to sell cannabis flowers, concentrates, oils, edibles and other products.

But like most who are eager to get into Alaska’s marijuana industry, Williams is worried about what to do with all the incoming cash that she can’t keep in a bank -- especially if business goes well.

Most banks want nothing to do with marijuana businesses because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. That means businesses like Midnight Greenery will have to deal almost entirely with cash.

Alaska marijuana regulators are meeting to consider draft rules for allowing use of marijuana in some businesses that will sell pot.

Under the plan, Alaska would become the first state in the nation to allow customers to consume marijuana products at authorized retail stores.

The first marijuana businesses aren't expected to be licensed until September — near the end of cruise ship season and a bit too late to cash in on tourism this year.

The regulations are expected to be discussed near the end of Wednesday's meeting of the Marijuana Control Board in Anchorage. Any recommendations would be subject to public comment.

No licenses have been issued yet for retail marijuana shops.

More than two years ago, Leif Abel sat around a table with his brother and his father and a list of about 50 possible names for the marijuana cultivation business they wanted to start in Kasilof.

After considering whether to take on an image that clearly sends a message about cannabis or perhaps something more discreet, they landed on the name Greatland Ganja and a logo that prominently features a cannabis leaf.

“We’re proud of what we’re doing,” Abel said. “We’re trying to project a culture of openness and acceptance of people within this subculture that is coming into main society.”