Anchorage real estate agent Bryant Thorp was one of the first Alaska entrepreneurs to apply for marijuana dispensary and cultivation licenses in February. But his journey began almost two years ago, when he saw the atmosphere in Seattle after Washington made the sale of pot legal. "It was a zoo. And it was kind of exciting. I thought, 'Wow! I'd like to do that,'" he said.
Thorp anticipates receiving his cultivation license in early June. He estimates by the time money begins rolling in, in September, he will have invested about a quarter of a million dollars on all his expenses, including property, fees and grow equipment. Fearing any small detail could derail his plan, he said he has still taken risks along the way.
In this video, listen to Thorp describe some of the challenges he's experienced so far.