Remember that Alaskan television reporter Charlo Greene who made news after very publicly (and abruptly) quitting her job on air with a resounding “f—k it” to further her work in legalizing marijuana as the president of the Alaska Cannabis Club?
Well, Greene’s dream came true on Tuesday when Alaska became the third state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana, allowing smoking, growing and possession, the New York Daily News reports.
According to the Daily News, the cannabis club will have its grand opening on Tuesday in downtown Anchorage, and Greene is ready to open with a bang, promising to distribute weed to paying medical-marijuana patients and club members. She also reportedly has her sights set on taking a toke in celebration at 4:20 p.m.
However, not everyone is as pleased about the new accessibility to the drug, with some worrying about the impact on the community. Alaska’s Native leaders in particular are worried about communities already struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and suicide.
“When they start depending on smoking marijuana, I don’t know how far they’d go to get the funds they need to support it, to support themselves,” said Edward Nick, a council member in Manokotak, a predominantly Yup’ik Eskimo village, the Daily News notes.
The small village, consisting of about 400 people, prohibits drugs and alcohol altogether, even in private homes, the news site reports.
However, supporters of the initiative that brought about the change in law reportedly told Native leaders that communities would still have local control under certain circumstances.
Supporters are also encouraging those who enjoy a toke or two not to “give … neighbors reason to feel uneasy about this new law. We’re in the midst of an enormous social and legal shift,” the Daily News reports.
Read more at the New York Daily News.