I helped my friend straighten out the Tibetan Prayer Flag on his deck. 

It’s extremely windy here, and rainy, and he lives on top of a tunnel where there’s probably a serious updraft. If that’s even a thing. 

I came over for a pizza party, I kinda invited myself, and their friends trickled in. 

There were kids and babies, rowdy boys and very shy girls, and lots of parents. Two of the guys, my friend and one of the other dads, got into the weeds, and I do mean weeds, of some business contract. My friend was listening and engaged, but the other dad was passionately, animatedly focused on this contract and the future of this business. 

A kids pizza party isn’t necessarily the moment for a business meeting in my opinion but, WAIT FOR IT, the business is a POT SHOP. 

To be fair, I was imbibing at the party which is not something I prefer to do around the kids. However, well, I was in control of myself and also, they aren’t my kids. But when the adults started talking about the pot shop, in front of their very own children, I was really, well, not expecting that. 

You see, weed is legal here in Alaska. If you work for the coast guard or any sort of maritime industry, you can’t partake because the coast guard is federally regulated (where weed is still illegal), not regulated by Alaska (where weed is legal). This was something that came up during my job interview with my current company. My potential employer asked me point-blank: “Marijuana is legal in Alaska. But we comply to Coast Guard regulations which means you would be susceptible to random drug testing at any time. Is that going to be a problem for you?” And I told him no, I don’t smoke weed. Not interested. 

BUT THE PARTY. By God, I was beside myself. And my friends mother, so the grandmother in the room, was all on board with the discussion. I can’t remember what kind of contract it was, but it had something to do with when the dispensary can be opened in the city according to some regulations of this, that and the other. 

I get that I’m kind of a square, but dude, I was just not thinking this was family-friendly conversation. 

I realized that this is really an interesting time for substances in America. Tons of folks partake of the devil’s lettuce but it’s still very much frowned on in many circles. It’s been called the “gateway drug” forever, at least that’s how it was introduced to me when I was in the 5th grade. 

As I was helping my friend with the prayer flag, I looked at his address. It was truly 420. I said “420?” And he was like “Isn’t that great?” 

I thought: you cannot make this stuff up. 

I told him I’d never smoked weed and he said “Natalie, are you even American?!”

Haha. He was that shocked. I told him I have the munchies on my own and I don’t need any reason for more, thank you. 

But I do think things are changing in this country. Weed is illegal, so I’ve never been interested. But there was a time when alcohol was illegal. Am I just opposed to weed because of the law? I was pro gay-marriage when it was still illegal, which is an entirely different bunch of apples. But I just wonder: am I that sensitive to rules and government that I have no interest in weed, or am I just really not interested anyway? 

And yes, I am American. Just not Alaskan.