First AK rec marijuana shop opens to long line; another bid nixed

Alaska’s first recreational marijuana store opened Saturday with dozens waiting in line in the rain, one day after the state’s cannabis licensing board for the first time rejected a retail license application amid concerns over an out-of-state company’s stake in the business.

Herbal Outfitters opened in Valdez at noon local time Saturday, almost two years after voters in the state gave their OK to legalize recreational marijuana.

Herbal Outfitters owner Rick Ballow is a Valdez native who returned from Arizona for the opportunity to…