The White House and Attorney General have contradictory stances against the weed industry. However, that has not stopped Vegas from acting to permit the legalization of weed. Nevada became one of eight states to vote recreational marijuana into law.
Lobbyists, alongside lawmakers, have been working hard to make the sale of recreational weed a reality. Surprisingly, there is a large amount of support from marijuana advocates, politicians, community residents, and the cannabis industry. Retail sales of recreational marijuana may be a reality by July 1, 2017.
Nevada’s Early Start Program
The state tax board approved Nevada’s Early Start program, which approves licenses for the sale of medical marijuana. “Good standing” dispensaries will be able to sell recreational weed to adults over the age of 21. This goes into effect July 21, 2017. No doubt there will be a lot of competition from businesses applying for applications to sell marijuana. Those businesses that receive a license can operate for six months while the state observes the efficacy of the program. There will likely be a process in place that determines how well these businesses operate.
Revenue for Nevada
The legal sale of recreational marijuana will likely net Nevada an extra $70 million per year or more. The new laws also approve tourists to smoke recreational marijuana. As such, tourists can only smoke marijuana in designated areas. Tourism may also increase based on this alone. Nevada sees it as a win-win situation for everyone.
Bill 236 will provide the framework to establish marijuana lounges and events that will allow marijuana smoking. The new bill, at the moment, is still a work in progress. As such, Nevada may be the first state to allow and regulate social weed venues.
Anyone visiting Vegas should stay up on the rules, regulations, and laws pertaining to legal and recreational marijuana. Those rules can change at any moment from legal to illegal. A lot will be happening in Vegas with the acceptance of this new law. Smoking marijuana in Vegas, or the state, can end up being a criminal offense if done outside the proper jurisdiction. The new law is not a license to smoke cannabis in public.
Opening a Marijuana Dispensary
The application process required to apply for opening a dispensary, cultivation facility, or a marijuana production facility are the same. Nevada requires applicants to obtain their application from the Nevada State Health Division. Information includes the prospective Las Vegas dispensary owner’s name, prospective business address, $250,000 in liquid assets, ownership or permission to use the business property, and personal information about each prospective employee.
A letter showing authorization from local authorities that the establishment is in compliance with relevant ordinances, zoning, and land use rules is also required. Not everyone will have the means and mindset to open a dispensary. Those that can will be well-established for years to come.