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U.S. NEWS Thursday 31 augusT 2017

American Living:

Pot shop clashes with tourism stores in eclectic Alaska town

By MARK THIESSEN historic atmosphere and climber and guide who State regulators approved keetna is lawless, with the
Associated Press harm business like the eight died in 1979 on Mount Ever- the store’s permit on a 3-2 closest trooper an hour
TALKEETNA, Alaska (AP) — or so stores that serve alco- est. McAneney worked vote last spring. away. “What are we sup-
The presence of a marijua- hol along Main Street could with Genet’s family and has “There’s people that are posed to do?” asked Stoltz,
na retail store has caused never do. incorporated a small mu- upset about it, but it’s le- the bed and breakfast
a deep divide in this quirky owner. “Are we going to
tourist town, where hun- take the law into our own
dreds of visitors roam the hands? Duct-tape him?”
streets daily browsing in art Stoltz said the very pres-
galleries and souvenir shops ence of a pot store will
housed in historic cabins. harm business in the his-
Most of Talkeetna’s stores toric town, where residents
line the two long blocks make a year’s living be-
that make up its Main tween Memorial Day and
Street, where tourists - Labor Day.
many who arrive in Alaska “If we lose our tourism, we
on cruise ships and are lose what Talkeetna is,” he
bused about two hours said. “We’re not catering to
north from Anchorage - stoner tourists. To me, that’s
wander into storefronts like the conflict with Joe.”
Nagley’s General Store for Seeing a pot shop on Tal-
ice cream or slip through its keetna’s main drag didn’t
back door for a cold one at bother 65-year-old Jeff
the West Rib Bar and Grill. White, visiting from the Lou-
At Main Street’s oppo- isville, Kentucky, area.
site end, near a river park Talkeetna has the artsy feel
where visitors snap photos of a tourist town in Colo-
of the continent’s tallest rado, which also has legal
mountain, is Talkeetna’s This July 12, 2017, photo shows tourists walking along historic Main Street in Talkeetna, Alaska. A marijuana, he said. “This
newest venture into the new business on Main Street this year is The High Expedition Co., the first marijuana store, and its goes with that vibe, and I
tourism trade. The High Ex- presence has caused a divide among residents. think that’s fine.”
pedition Co. is a nod to the (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen) One resident dismisses the
rich mountain climbing his- idea that the pot store is
tory of the eclectic com- “I don’t think he belongs in seum dedicated to Genet gal,” said Sue Deyoe, the giving Talkeetna a black
munity purported to be downtown Talkeetna,” Me- and Talkeetna’s climbing Talkeetna Historical Soci- eye. But it is dividing the
the inspiration for the 1990s andering Moose B&B own- history. But even that asso- ety and Museum’s execu- town, Christie Stoltz said,
television series “Northern er Mike Stoltz said. ciation led to some disdain. tive director. Opposition noting the chasm has
Exposure.” Joe McAneney co-owns “Small towns in Alaska are mounted as the issue went reached her home. She’s
Talkeetna’s first marijuana the High Expedition Co., harder than anywhere before state regulators, the daughter of Mike Stoltz,
retail store is causing a rift which opened in mid-May. to break into and sort where a stream of residents the B&B owner.
not seen in other tourist-de- “The sky hasn’t fallen on of become accepted,” unsuccessfully called in to “I feel like it’s generations --
pendent towns in this Liber- Talkeetna, the sun is shin- McAneney said. the Anchorage meeting to the older generation versus
tarian-leaning state, where ing, and this is now the His store got its approval oppose the store’s license. the younger generation,”
marijuana had a casual most photographed shop from the borough on a Among the biggest issue for she said.
acceptance long before in town,” he said. technicality when the as- critics is the lack of places For some, marijuana was
it became legal. But even Grabbing the attention of sembly was writing regu- for tourists to puff the mari- never an issue, Deyoe said,
here, like in many pot-legal amateur shutterbugs is a lations for marijuana busi- juana they buy - smoking and it pales in comparison
states, some towns have small “Cannabis Purveyors” nesses in unincorporated pot in public is illegal, and to a controversy last spring
opted out of sales, fearful it wooden sign on the store’s areas, like Talkeetna, and that led to fears the nearby when the borough pro-
might invite crime and oth- deck. inadvertently omitted spe- river park would become posed leveling trees over
er evils. In Talkeetna, some McAneney has been work- cial land use districts - like the place to partake. an area about the size of
shop owners - the ones who ing to open the shop nearly the town’s Main Street. Talk- Alaska State Troopers say eight football fields for an
built a multimillion-dollar since the day in 2014 that eetna has no local govern- there were no citations is- expanded parking lot for
business from the steady Alaska residents voted to ing body, only a nonvoting sued for anyone consum- summer use.
stream of mountain climb- legalize recreational mari- community council whose ing marijuana in public “I think the community
ers who use Talkeetna as juana. He and a partner sole power is sending rec- in Talkeetna from April 1 council got way more let-
a staging point for treks up bought the cabin that ommendations to borough to July 1, the same as last ters on that than they did in
Denali - say this one shop was originally built for Ray officials roughly 75 miles year. reaction to the marijuana
could ruin the tiny town’s Genet, an early Talkeetna (120 kilometers) away. But opponents argue Tal- shop,” she said.q