A second marijuana business will soon open in Nome, according to the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office (AMCO). Nome Grown LLC, owned by Nome resident Gregory Smith, was issued a Limited Marijuana Cultivation Facility license earlier this month on January 2. The license is currently active, pending inspection.
Smith expects an AMCO representative to complete the inspection next week. The inspector will check the marijuana plants Smith has already started growing.
“Working with the investigator, I’ve already planted marijuana legally and am growing… just the seeds. You get to germinate them, and when they [the inspectors] come for their site visit, they want to see them about 8 inches tall.”
If Smith’s facility passes inspection next week, Nome Grown will open for business shortly afterwards. It’s important to note that a limited cultivation facility cannot sell marijuana products directly to the public. Only a retail store can.
“Cultivation facilities grow marijuana plants, and they process them. And they’re under strict testing guidelines and strict regulations. The resulting product is tested for public safety.”
Smith says Nome Grown has applied for a retail license, though, and AMCO is scheduled to review the pending application at its board meeting on February 22n in Juneau. Smith plans on opening up a retail store in conjunction with his limited growth facility if or when that license is granted.
A former probation officer and the organizer of substance abuse treatment programs in Nome, Smith says he looks forward to facilitating the safe, legal distribution of marijuana. That includes a strict control plan for making sure minors keep clear of his facility.
“…you gotta show your ID, a valid ID, or you can’t get past the entryway. If you don’t have an ID, you can’t come in, whatsoever. And if it’s not a recognizable, valid ID, you’re not allowed on the premises.”
For Smith, he has more personal reasons for wanting to start up this type of business in Nome.
“I got an injury that I needed neck surgery, and I chose based on my experience never to touch opioids, and do the marijuana. For pain management, it was the right choice. So I think, socially, it’s the right thing to do; it’s responsible, promotes responsible consumption.”
Smith says if his retail license is granted after the February 22 AMCO meeting, he expects to open the store come March or April of this year.
Image at top: public domain, via Pixabay.
