And why didn't Alaska have a medical dispensary system?  Alaska approved medical marijuana in what was it, 1998?  Russ is on to something, because conservative Republican legislators neutered that initiative as soon as they had the chance (if I recall, Loren Leman led the charge in that instance).  Approval for medical marijuana became Alaska's version of a scarlet letter, which caused most folks to decide that consuming cannabis outside of the law was a preferable alternative.  Quite possibly, that could have had as much to do with the results of two years ago as Charlo What's-Her-Name and the ensuing media circus.