A new marijuana business in the Mendenhall Valley where customers can smoke or consume edibles on site received the greenlight from the Juneau Planning Commission Tuesday night.
The plans for the business, Alaska Vibes, have been long in the making — so long that this was actually the second time the commission granted approval after its previous permit expired.
Speaking on behalf of the business, Director of Operations Tara Smith says that the process of opening an area for people to enjoy marijuana products is taking much longer than anticipated.
“With this business, it’s not like we can just open up a restaurant — we have to deal with the legal side of everything and that’s where we get out roadblocks and our timelines can get pushed back because of some of those things,” she said.
In 2019, Alaska approved on-site consumption laws allowing customers to smoke marijuana and consume edibles at cannabis retailers that have permits for it. So far, only a few permits have been approved across the state.
To offer on-site consumption, the state requires the area to have a separate ventilation system or be outdoors, and only products purchased on site can be consumed. Juneau also has additional requirements like ensuring the odor doesn’t leave the premises.
The recently approved permit allows for a retail and cultivation facility and outdoor consumption area. The business will be located in the Valley near Pavitt’s gym and will be a sister location to the downtown Alaskan Kush Company.
State law prohibits cannabis products from being consumed in public areas, and tourists aren’t allowed to take them aboard a cruise ship. Smith says having an area for people to enjoy their products will allow the business to tap into the tourism industry. They plan to shuttle visitors from downtown to the store.
“Tourists want a place to go, our locals want a place to hang out. It’s cool, it’s fun and it gets us out of the bars,” she said.
Smith says the retail area of the business will open first, followed by the outdoor consumption patio and cultivation area, but the timeline of when that will happen is still up in the air. The business will still need approval from the state Marijuana Control Board before it can open its onsite consumption area.