As communities across Alaska try to figure out how to handle the new legalized marijuana industry, many are opting out.

Among those just saying no is the tiny town of North Pole, and that's not sitting well with the town's most famous resident: Santa Claus has put medical marijuana on his "nice" list.

The man who legally changed his name to "Santa Claus" is deeply religious, a monk, and a child advocate. That's why he changed his name. 

"It sounds ridiculous but it's true. It helps," Santa says.  

He's served as an elected city council member in North Pole for almost a year.

Before that he worked in government, specializing in security and law enforcement.

Californians are set to legalize recreational marijuana in Tuesday’s election, two decades after voters approved cannabis for medicinal purposes, according to a new poll.

Proposition 64, which has consistently led in surveys, would allow adults 21 and older to use the drug, possess 1 ounce and grow six plants.

Five other states will vote on legalizing recreational marijuana on Nov. 8 and the impact on Colorado is yet to be seen.

The Colorado green rush is credited with bringing an influx of investment and people to the state. Supporters cite a $2.4 billion economic impact in 2015 but opponents point to concerns about crime and homelessness.

After several incidents downtown this summer, city leaders blamed what they called "urban travelers" -- people drawn to Colorado for legal weed. They even told dispensaries on the 16th Street Mall to avoid selling individual joints.

A homeless man who calls himself "L.A." told Denver 7 he moved here from Louisiana because of marijuana, as he said, "For the best weed ever."

The war on drugs has disproportionately punished minority groups and the less fortunate for decades. Now, with five states set to vote on legalizing and regulating the recreational use and sale of marijuana on Nov. 8, the cannabis industry is using newfound support to undo the harm caused by the drug war.

Cannabis is becoming more popular across the US. Four states have legalized recreational marijuana and five more, including California, will vote on the issue next Tuesday. This is good news for many, but there is one big downside: legal pot can be a public safety nightmare.

With the election less than a week away, it’s not surprising that the candidates are widening their stances on many issues in order to appeal to larger and more diverse groups of voters. For Hillary Clinton, one of these ever-changing stances focuses on the legalization of marijuana.

She consistently hides behind the veil of lack-of-information on the topic. During an interview with KNPR.org earlier this year she stated, “I support states making this decision so that we can have some good on-the-ground experience as to what works and quite frankly, what doesn’t work.”

Leaked DNC emails suggest Clinton is not in support of legalizing marijuana.

In the next part of 13 Action News series of reports on marijuana, what sorts of people does recreational marijuana attract to Colorado or potentially Nevada?

More police are patrolling in Denver and private security guards were hired with the influx of tourists visiting Colorado after the state legalized recreational marijuana.

Attorney Rachel O'Bryan cites a report from Denver's Downtown Convention and Visitors Bureau indicating marijuana consumption, panhandling and safety concerns are the top complaints from meeting planners across the country.

But on the plus side, pot tourists are helping the marijuana business surge.

Nevada already has legal brothels, round-the-clock casinos and a coy catchphrase declaring that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” If voters approve, the state could soon add another vice in the form of recreational marijuana.

A proposal on the Nov. 8 state ballot would legalize pot, and entrepreneurs hope its passage could someday allow the drug at Las Vegas’ glamorous nightclubs and perhaps provide the framework for a future Amsterdam-style cannabis district.

The marijuana industry could quadruple in size after the 2016 elections, according to a new study released Wednesday.

The Los Angeles-based cannabis firm MedMen projects legal pot sales in the U.S. could increase by $20.5 billion per year after voters in nine states weigh ballot measures that would legalize recreational marijuana.

"The potential of this industry is undeniable," MedMen CEO Adam Bierman said. "The question is how we make sure it is done in a safe, responsible and controlled manner."

The recreational use of marijuana has already been legalized in Colorado, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., and another 21 states permit medical marijuana.

Question 4, which would approve the taxing and sale of marijuana — instead of keeping it on the list of illegal drugs — is going before Massachusetts voters next Tuesday. But the results are expected to have an impact in Rhode Island as well.

“I’m taking a slower approach to make sure [that] if we do it, we get it right,” Gov. Gina Raimondo told Eyewitness News on Wednesday. If Massachusetts okays it, she told the Providence Journal this week, “we have to look at it harder and faster.”