The mom and pop corner store evolves

At the corner of the Old Glenn Highway and Plumley Road.

The glass case on top of the counter holds samples of the

various products. What we used to call paraphernalia 

fills the displays below.

Here's one the big box stores probably aren't going to put out of business anytime soon. These folks just opened today. I noticed it earlier when I went to town and came back with my camera after I returned.
     It's a nice clean operation and they even have their own grow. Certainly not like our dealings in dark alleys years ago. I talked with the owner for a bit and he seems quite knowledgable. He asked me how long since I had any and I said quite a while. He pulled out a cannister and opened it. He said I'd probably recognize the odor as it was from a strain that has been growing in this valley since the 80s. It did have a pungent earthly smell that seemed vaguely familiar. He seemed a little disappointed with my response until I told him the last time I'd had any was in the 60s. Then we both had a laugh.

The grow, with our favorite blogger on the bars.

Complexities between state and federal laws have made

banks shy away from this industry, so it always has to 

be a cash transaction. It's handy to have an ATM around.

     He got busy with customers  but said when I told him I had taken a picture of the outside of the building that I was welcome to shoot some inside as well. He had customers whom I thought might be nervous about my taking pictures so I waited until they were gone.
    Meanwhile I looked over the wares. Prices seemed to be in line with what I've read about what stores in Anchorage charged, much more than what we used to pay in those dark alleys however.
     Then when the place cleared out I pulled up my camera. The owner even took a shot of me next to a window that looked out into his grow building, yup, that's it growing in the background. About those bars, I told him he must have quite a scam going, sell somebody some pot and then bust them and toss them behind bars for possession.
    Oh, wait, it's legal now, everything's done in daylight and the state is collecting more than a million dollars a month in taxes from the industry.
     Far out, man.
Managing marijuana in Alaska