Anchorage’s thriving marijuana industry appears to be a multi-million-dollar boon for the cash-strapped Anchorage School District.

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance wants to award $2 million in marijuana sales tax revenue to the school district’s daycare program, which will focus on four and five-year-olds who come from “at-risk, low-income families.” A memorandum to this effect will be considered by the Anchorage Assembly at their March 3 meeting.

The stated goal is to spend the money preparing young children for the day they enter the classroom by focusing on their social/emotional needs, language and literacy skills, physical health and cognitive abilities.

The grant is for one year of daycare programming with the option to continue the contract annually.

In 2023, Anchorage residents voted to dedicate 100% of the city’s marijuana retail sales tax proceeds to childcare and early education expenses to make it more affordable for parents to leave their kids under the watch of government and professional caregivers.

According to Weedmaps, which tracks weed stores around the nation, Anchorage has 57 marijuana retail shops, or one for every 6,000 residents, making it one of the highest density cities in terms of marijuana shops per capita.

Thanks to the city’s booming weed industry, the 5% marijuana tax brings in about $5 million annually, all of which goes to helping parents offset the cost of leaving their kids in daycare or early education programs.

While national studies are mixed on whether marijuana negatively impacts parenting, daily cannabis use among U.S. parents has skyrocketed over the past 15 years. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, cannabis use among parents was quite rare in 2012, with just 1 in 80 parents using the drug daily. By 2024, it had risen to 1 in 20 – a fourfold increase.

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