Those dreaming of Vegas weed may conjure thoughts of sparking joints on the Strip while taking in the commotion and bright lights–but that is far from reality. Nevada legalized personal use in 2001, and a separate Senate bill approved licensed sales in 2013 before voters then legalized adult use a few years later.
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Flash forward, and now the Silver State is home to lounges and events hoping to draw in weed tourists. However, cannabis businesses are barred from getting too close to the Las Vegas Strip, a destination few leave during their time in town.
According to reports from the Las Vegas Sun, Assemblymember Max Carter II plans to file a bill that may suture the divide.
Legal weed on the Vegas strip? Maybe soon
Consuming, selling, or possessing cannabis remains illegal in casinos, which make up the entirety of the Vegas Strip. The tourism epicenter is widely fueled by gambling, a space regulated tightly by the federal government. Meanwhile, cannabis remains a Schedule I substance in the eyes of the federal government. Because of this discrepancy, consuming cannabis on casino property is highly illegal. Casinos can not open up lounges, guests cannot smoke weed in their rooms, and no cannabis dispensary can deliver to the area.
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As regulated sales continue dropping, many believe that illicit operations are capturing tourists where licensed operations cannot go: the Strip. Carter hopes to start quashing that issue, beginning with an impending bill to allow deliveries to participating casinos. Under the current laws, dispensaries cannot currently deliver to locations that hold a gaming license
Rather than opening the floodgates to allow dispensaries, lounges, and the like, Carter envisions a kiosk pickup system hosted at casinos and hotels. Under the model he shared with the Sun, people who would order cannabis from a regulated dispensary could wait in an approved area at the casino for their delivery. Minimal cash would be in this area at any given time to deter robbery.
Carter may file a bill in the upcoming weeks, telling Sun that its success requires cooperation from both sides: gambling and cannabis.
Potential boon for regulated cannabis depends on one thing
If Carter follows through, the potential for regulated sales in this area is somewhat monumental. Over 100,000 people visit Las Vegas daily, and many visitors go straight to the iconic destination without leaving until they are ready to head home. A large portion of those visitors may not take part in the state’s legal pot offerings since the closest dispensaries sit over a mile from the Strip.
While the bill promised by Assemblymember Carter does not mend the full chasm that exists between Nevada’s cannabis industry and the longstanding power of the Las Vegas Strip, it is a start. Allowing cross-promotion between casinos and dispensaries by way of safe, off-site cannabis access has the potential to usher more visitors into the regulated space over other less-legal options.
