Back in 2016, when Alaska voted to legalize, we were all very excited. Cannabis had finally broken through in the state, and what was to come had everyone involved with Cannabis in any capacity, very excited.
To the excitement of many, the bill was comprised of wording that would allow lounges to finally open up. For a hot minute, we had POT-luck events in downtown Anchorage … but that would, sadly, not last.
But it wouldn’t be too long before consumption lounges open, right? It was in the bill, so it should be coming along with retail stores…
Fast forward five years and a pandemic later – finally, Alaska has a lounge. Opening on 4/20, it was the finest way to ring in this year’s holiday.
More will follow suit very quickly, as there are a few endorsements out there that are in various stages. Were it not for the pandemic, this article would have been written a full year sooner, but alas, that was not to be. But, FINALLY, Alaska is open for business with on-site consumption. And leading this charge is a name familiar to most consumers: Good Titrations.
Welcome, my friends, to Alaska Leaf’s very first on-site consumption lounge review!
Shaun Tacke, CFO of Good Titrations, has been kind enough to keep me in the loop on the whole process of turning an old Chili’s into a retail store, and then further into a lounge. I remember a year ago, the store was the size of a large closet. You would walk in the door, buy your products through a window, and promptly leave. Behind there, Good Titrations was building out today’s beautiful, spacious location.
The entrance is the previously mentioned storefront, which leads into the entrance desk. Proceeding to your left after being carded and added to the customer portal takes you to the store … but what we’re here for is through the glass door: The Lounge. A beautifully crafted space reminiscent of a regular old coffee shop, with a U-shaped bar in the middle of the room and tables along the wall, and a large seating area nestled away across from six TVs – yes, it is a gorgeous space.
At the lounge on opening night, you had a few options. Firstly, coffee. I ordered a caramel mocha and was quite impressed with how it turned out. There were also some un-infused baked goods to snack on. But let’s get to the Cannabis – what happened after we sparked up will stick with me for a long time.
Smoking inside of the lounge was a surreal experience. We have been waiting for this for such a long time, and it is finally here. Honestly, I didn’t fully process that fact until the next morning. Moreover, I found myself sitting at a booth and just watching people’s reactions as they walked into the main hallway on their way to the store. People would stop dead in their tracks when they saw us smoking inside – popping their heads in to see what was happening. I watched one lady do a triple-take!
Everyone who was there was in a state of joy. Good Titrations COO Brandon Emmett sat down at the booth I had locked down, and you could simply see the satisfaction of the moment on his face … the hard work that it took to get to this point. Good Titrations and the team finally got here – and we’re all excited to see where it goes next.
**As a reminder, at any Alaska on-site consumption areas, you are allowed to purchase edibles with up to 10mg of THC and up to 1g of flower. Everything you purchase must be consumed on-site. At Good Titrations, you can bring in your own piece to smoke loose flower purchased at the bar out of. You can only partake in products purchased at the lounge – no outside products allowed.**
