drug notorious for making its users lazy and idle has been busy, busy, busy building a new industry in Alaska. In less than a decade since voters legalized recreational use of marijuana, cannabis has grown into the state’s most valuable cash crop. Per capita, Alaska has the most retail shops of any state where the drug is legal. Pretty impressive for a market that was entirely the domain of illicit dealers before 2016.

Alaska’s libertarian streak gets the credit for passing the legalization initiative in a politically conservative electorate, and that same tendency could also explain the proliferation of marijuana businesses. Cutting red tape and streamlining government regulation works for other industries, so cannabis benefits from the same light touch.

Which is not to say that cannabis isn’t strictly regulated. This month’s article “Cannabis Cool” explains how the air quality regulations alone require the support of HVAC engineers and installers, extending the ripples of the blazing industry to other economic sectors. Anyone willing to play by the rules—and navigate the financial complications of dealing in a federally banned substance—can claim a share of the marijuana profits.

This edition of Alaska Trends is a snapshot of marijuana today. How might that compare in a few years, after the industry has matured?