Law Nevada

[Baron23]

Nevada sales set to start Saturday with potential to (temporarily) be country’s biggest market

Nevada officials estimate more than 60 percent of recreational pot sales will go to the more than 40 million tourists who visit the state every year

Published: Jun 27, 2017, 11:10 am • Updated: about 4 hours ago Add a Comment

By Scott Sonner, The Associated Press

RENO, Nev. — A lengthy legal battle over the alcohol industry’s exclusive rights to distribute marijuana in Nevada won’t affect the state’s plans to begin recreational pot sales at medical dispensaries on Saturday, state officials said.

The Nevada Tax Commission also approved emergency regulations Monday with stricter labeling and packaging requirements aimed at protecting children. Among other things, the rules prohibit edible pot products modeled after products marketed primarily to children or bearing likenesses of animals, fruit or cartoon characters.

The marijuana industry is eager for the fast-approaching July 1 kickoff of recreational sales in Nevada, where demand from tourists is expected to eventually make the state’s market bigger than other states where it’s legal, including Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

The state intends to appeal a Carson City judge’s order that only alcohol wholesalers can obtain pot distribution licenses, Stephanie Klapstein, Taxation Department spokeswoman, confirmed Monday.

It won’t happen on an emergency basis, and it won’t affect retail sales starting Saturday, Klapstein said.

Related stories

• Nevada regulators have cunning plan to keep July 1 recreational marijuana sales on track
• Cannabist Show: She helps decode cannabis regulations in California, Colorado, Nevada and beyond
• Judge’s ruling puts Nevada’s July 1 recreational marijuana launch in limbo
• Down to the wire: Nevada’s July 1 launch of recreational pot sales hangs in the balance
• Nevada liquor lobby battles medical marijuana distributors with July 1 sales start at risk

State regulators argued they have the authority to issue distributor licenses to existing medical dispensaries if there aren’t enough applicants from the alcohol industry to meet demand. Judge James Wilson disagreed.

“Nobody said they are going to just roll over and accept the court’s finding. It’s a fairly big issue,” said Michael Willden, chief of staff to Gov. Brian Sandoval.

But that fight is for another day, he said, because Sandoval has decided they don’t want to pursue that matter through an emergency regulation.

In the meantime, properly licensed medical dispensaries can sell off their stockpiles for recreational use and expect to have enough supply to meet demand for three weeks or longer. The state anticipates at least some alcohol wholesalers will be licensed to distribute pot by then.

“I get the sense that most, if not all, dispensaries will have sufficient inventory to serve retail customers until distributors are up and running,” Nevada Dispensary Association President Andrew Jolley said Monday.

Nevada officials estimate 63 percent of recreational pot sales will go to tourists. More than 40 million tourists visited Las Vegas last year.

“I think it is going to be the largest cannabis market in the country until California gets its sales going,” said Nancy Whiteman, co-owner of Colorado-based Wana Brands. The firm sells edible marijuana products through a Nevada affiliate to about half of the Silver State’s 60 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries.

California law prohibits recreational sales until at least Jan. 1, 2018, and industry experts anticipate Californians will be among those travelling to neighboring Nevada to take advantage of recreational sales starting Saturday.

“I think there will be long lines,” Whiteman said. “I think because of the sheer historical precedent and the novelty of it that people will want to be a part of that first day.”

Medical dispensaries licensed to sell recreational pot must comply with the new regulations regarding children, including labels that state, “THIS IS A MARIJUANA PRODUCT,” and “Keep out of reach of children.”

Whiteman said her company has about 15 edible labels it must redesign before those products can be sold in Nevada, primarily gummies.

“We are frantically having our graphic people rework those as we speak,” she said.

Clint Cates, director of compliance for Mainstream Partners and Kynd Cannabis Co., said his company is changing molds used to produce chocolates infused with marijuana to comply with the new rules.

That adds to the firms’ wholesale costs, “but we knew that was coming because we are the strictest regulated industry in the country,” Cates said. “This is the ‘big boy’ state. If you are the ‘who’s who’ of the cannabis industry, you are in Nevada because of our tourism.”

 

[VAPEHUNTER]

NV Senator Tick Segerblom Will Be First Recreational Cannabis Customer at Reef Dispensaries July 1

"Nevada State Senator Tick Segerblom will be the first to legally purchase recreational cannabis at 12 AM on Friday night at Reef Dispensaries’ Las Vegas Strip location. As a longtime champion of cannabis legalization, Tick’s integral contribution to the movement has been unparalleled. Reef is proud to honor the senator as our first recreational marijuana customer in the state.'

Link to article → https://medium.com/trykecultivator/...tomer-at-reef-dispensaries-at-12-229d477c4eef

 

[Baron23]

Nevada makes 'emergency' changes to marijuana edibles law
Nevada marijuana dispensaries will have to get rid of certain edible products before this weekend due to new, last-minute regulations.

On Monday, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval endorsed a Department of Taxation statement of emergency that will allow the department to more strictly regulate marijuana edible products starting the same day as the state's first recreational marijuana sales.

"The Governor wants to see the state realize the revenues from its sales, and most importantly, wants a regulatory structure that is restricted, responsible and respected," said Mari St. Martin, spokeswoman for the governor's office.

The new regulations, approved by the Nevada Tax Commission on Monday, prohibit marijuana dispensaries from selling the following for recreational use in Nevada:

• Any products that contain any more than 10 milligrams of THC per dose or more than 100 milligrams of THC per package.
• Any products that appear to be lollipops, ice cream or are modeled after a brand of products marketed to children.
• Any products that look like real or fictional characters or cartoons.
• Any products that apply THC to candy or snack foods other dried fruit, nuts or granola.
• Any cookie or brownie products that are not in a sealed, opaque bag.
• Any products that have images of cartoon characters, action figures, toys, balloons or mascots on the labeling.

Existing packaging that has such images must be covered by a sticker, label, or permanent marker so the image is completely obscured, according to a Department of Taxation email sent out to dispensaries on Wednesday.

Products being stored outside of consumer view do not need to have the images covered until they are placed on display or immediately prior to sale.

"From day one, we want to make sure that potency, packaging and labeling are strict from the start," said Stephanie Klapstein, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Taxation.

The last-minute regulations also require packaging to have "THIS IS A MARIJUANA PRODUCT" in bold type, as well as the words "Keep out of reach of children" and a list of all ingredients.

The restrictions overlap with many of those detailed in legislation sponsored by Sen. Patricia Farley, Nonpartisan-Las Vegas, and passed by lawmakers earlier this month, but only some sections of the law go into effect July 1. Other portions go into effect on Oct. 1 and others go into effect in 2020.

Edibles, which come in the form of everything from gummy snacks to chocolate bars, often have potent doses of THC, Tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Consumers usually have significantly delayed reactions.

Dispensaries will still be able to sell some of the items to medical marijuana cardholders, but others will be illegal after July 1. Those that fall in the latter category are being steeply discounted during the next few days.

"If we don’t sell them now, we have to destroy them," said Mikel Alvarez, spokesman for Blüm, a dispensary with one dispensary in Reno and three in Las Vegas.

Blüm, for instance, will have to say sayonara to the lollipops that they currently sell and the prepackaged 28.5-gram containers since dispensaries can no longer sell more than an ounce of marijuana at a time, even to medical marijuana cardholders who are allowed to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana. Others are allowed only an ounce.

While the emergency regulations are a costly inconvenience for many dispensaries, they are aimed at keeping pot out of the hands of Nevada's youth. Though the law is written so that only adults 21 and over are allowed to purchase recreational marijuana, states such as Colorado have reported a post-legalization increase in minors' visits to the emergency room as a result of edibles intake.

The Department of Taxation is hiring four compliance and audit officers, as well as four inspectors, to uphold regulations. The department has not yet disclosed which dispensaries will receive recreational marijuana dispensary licenses, which allow them to begin sales as early as July 1.

Sales through December will qualify as part of the state's six-month early start program, which ends in December. Permanent regulations will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

 

[VAPEHUNTER]

Less than 15 hours to go


Here’s a list of all Las Vegas area dispensaries where recreational marijuana-seekers can get their recreational weed.
Opening at 12 a.m. Saturday:

Apothecary Shoppe at 4240 W. Flamingo Road from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Blackjack Collective at 1860 Western Ave. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Essence Cannabis Dispensary at 5765 W. Tropicana Ave. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Essence Cannabis Dispensary, north Strip at 2307 Las Vegas Blvd. South from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Euphoria Marijuana at 7780 S. Jones Blvd. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m; 9 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Jardin Premium Cannabis Dispensary at 2900 E. Desert Inn Road from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Nevada Wellness Center at 3200 S. Valley View Blvd. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Oasis Medical Cannabis at 1800 Industrial Road, Suite 200, from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Piso’s at 4110 S. Maryland Parkway from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Reef at 3400 Western Ave. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Reef at 1366 W. Cheyenne Ave., North Las Vegas, is open 24 hours

Sahara Wellness at 420 E. Sahara Ave. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Shango at 4380 Boulder Highway from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 9 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

ShowGrow Las Vegas at 4850 S. Fort Apache Road from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m., 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Clinic Nevada at 4310 W. Flamingo Road from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Dispensary NV at 5347 S. Decatur Blvd. from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m., 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

The Grove at 4647 Swenson St. from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Thrive Cannabis Marketplace at 1112 S. Commerce St. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Thrive Cannabis Marketplace at 2755 W. Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas is open 24 hours

Top Notch THC at 5630 Stephanie St. from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Operating at regular hours:

Acres Medical at 2320 Western Ave. from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Apothecarium at 7885 W. Sahara Ave. from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Blüm at 1921 Western Ave. from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Blüm at 3650 S. Decatur Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Blüm at 1130 E. Desert Inn Road from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

CannaCopia at 6332 S. Rainbow Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Canopi at 2113 Las Vegas Blvd. North in North Las Vegas from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Canopi at 6540 Blue Diamond Road from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (The Canopi location at 1324 S. 3rd Street in Las Vegas will only sell medical.)

Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary at 2520 S. Maryland Parkway from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Jenny’s Dispensary at 5530 N. Decatur Blvd., North Las Vegas, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Las Vegas Releaf at 2244 Paradise Road from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Medizin at 4850 W. Sunset Road from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

MMJ America at 4660 S. Decatur Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Nevada Medical Marijuana at 1975 S. Casino Drive in Laughlin from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

NuLeaf Clark Dispensary at 430 E. Twain Ave. from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Silver Sage Wellness at 4626 W. Charleston Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Grove at 1541 E. Basin Ave. in Pahrump from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Source at 6877 W. Sahara Ave. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Las Vegas Sun
By Chris Kudialis (contact)

 

[momofthegoons]

@VAPEHUNTER lots of candy shops there....... Congratulations.

 

[deep_meditation]

I’m thinking about this thread and a trip to Vegas even though I’m not really a gambler at all. I’d go to see a show or for a event of some sort. Would be nice to grab a cookie or snack before a show or a nice dinner and have a good time. I can do that here but on vacation it would be nice.

Just thinking about Vegas and I really don’t understand Sheldon Adelson. I guess he’s just old. But think about it.... someone with his pull could get in on this do, things the “right” way and make a mint.

 

[CarolKing]

I was looking around at some of the different cannabis stores online and the prices don't look too high, I notice the prices are higher for the higher THC levels. Surprising I didn't see $28 grams.

Be careful that the THC levels aren't inflated by analytical testing labs. We have the problem here in WA state. I'm hoping it's been corrected some companies were caught giving false THC levels.

 

[Baron23]

Tourists, locals buy Nevada’s legal recreational marijuana

People wait in line at the Essence cannabis dispensary, Saturday, July 1, 2017, in Las Vegas. Nevada dispensaries were legally allowed to sell recreational marijuana starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. (John Locher/Associated Press)
By Regina Garcia Cano and John Locher | AP July 1
LAS VEGAS — Cheers and long lines of tourists and locals alike greeted the first day of sales of recreational marijuana on Saturday as Nevada became the fifth state with stores selling pot to the public in a market that is expected to outpace all others in the U.S. thanks to the millions of visitors who flock to Las Vegas each year.

Veteran consumers, first-timers, twenty-somethings and retirees were among those who defied triple-digit temperatures before they made it into stores across the Las Vegas area, some of which opened shortly after midnight and later provided free water, live music, valet parking and coveted promotions on their valuable product. Eager employees guided customers and answered questions from product potency to Nevada’s consumption regulations.

Minnesota resident Edgar Rosas Lorenzo on Saturday flew with his family to Sin City for his sister’s wedding. But even before he checked in to his hotel, he stopped at a dispensary on the Las Vegas Strip.

Lorenzo, 21, said he learned of the legalization of recreational marijuana in Nevada while he was at the airport waiting for his flight to depart. He drove with his sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law from the rental car facility in Las Vegas straight to the dispensary. They waited in line about 40 minutes before he could buy one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana and hemp wraps.

“It was worth the wait. I’m going to come get some more tomorrow,” Lorenzo said after paying about $60 in cash at Essence dispensary. “It helps me sleep. I get back pain. I have a slipped disk.”

Some dispensaries took to social media to spread the word or tried to draw in buyers with special events. Some gave away free marijuana to their first 100 customers, and at least one entered buyers into a raffle for free pot for a year.

Those 21 and older with a valid ID can buy up to an ounce of pot. As of Friday, the state had licensed 44 dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana. Thirty-nine of those shops are in the Las Vegas area.

Tourists — 42 million of which stop in Sin City every year — are expected to make nearly two of every three recreational pot purchases in Nevada. But people can only use the drug in a private home as it remains illegal to consume it in public, including the Strip, hotels and casinos. Violators face a $600 fine.

“I have yet to figure that out,” Lorenzo said of where he will smoke the weed he got at the Essence dispensary, which along with others had stacks of pamphlets stating the regulations in every checkout station.

Meanwhile, Kristin Deneal got in line outside a pot shop at 5:45 a.m., after a different store that opened at midnight closed before she could make a purchase. She brought a folding chair and sat by the door, striking conversations with the security guard and others as the line continued to grow before doors opened at 9 a.m.

Deneal, a Las Vegas resident, said she is elated at being able to legally buy the drug that for decades she has had to buy through acquaintances. Smoking marijuana helps her cope with health conditions while also working a stressful job at a bank, she said.

“It looks like they have enough stuff for everyone, it’s just a question of getting through the door,” Deneal, 57, said.

State Sen. Tick Segerblom, one of the main proponents of marijuana legalization in Nevada, made the first purchase at The Source dispensary at a strip mall. Deneal and others followed. An hour after the door opened, at least 80 transactions had been recorded.

Some facilities are in strip malls, while others, in stereotypical Las Vegas fashion, are in neighborhoods shared by strip clubs. Some dispensaries have ATMs inside because they only accept cash transactions for marijuana.

Lorenzo immediately posted photos of his stash on Snapchat. His friends have said they’re jealous and asked where he bought the products, he said, adding that he’ll plan another trip to Las Vegas specifically to legally purchase marijuana, not to visit the city’s world famous casinos.

“We just got here ... Instead of looking around in Vegas, I’m in a dispensary,” he said.

In the afternoon, people walking along the Strip seemed to be obeying the state’s ban on public pot smoking.

Recreational marijuana sales began shortly after midnight, just months after voters approved legalization in November, marking the fastest turnaround from the ballot box to retail sales in the country.

Hundreds of people lined up outside dispensaries that opened from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. and had to turn away customers like Deneal. At Essence on the Strip, people were excited and well-behaved as a lone security guard looked on. A cheer erupted when the doors opened.

Despite the limits on where people can get high and restrictions on where the industry can advertise, dispensaries worked furiously to prepare for the launch. They stamped labels on pot products, stocked up their shelves, added security and installed extra checkout stations.

Nevada joins Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska in allowing adults to buy the drug that’s still banned by the federal government.

“I’ve been living in Vegas for 15 years, and I keep missing the cities that legalize marijuana and edibles. So I’m happy that it’s here now,” said Babs Daitch, who was waiting in line.

 

[CarolKing]

So are tourists suppose to use legal cannabis in their cars? This is so stupid that they don't have lounges available or hotels that allow cannabis. Even if they just allowed folks using vaporizers.
CK

While the sale of marijuana has been legalized, public consumption has not. Nevada allows for consumption of marijuana only in private residences, a classification that currently excludes casinos. Nor can tourists or residents smoke in their hotel rooms or on the Las Vegas Strip.

Despite permissive rules on purchasing, police officials are committed to enforcement on public consumption, even for tourists. “It’s expected that when you visit somewhere you do know the laws,” a spokesperson for the Las Vegas police department told the Associated Press. “It’s up to the public to be educated. It’s not up to us to proactively go to tourists and tell them what the law is.”

All marijuana sold will be heavily taxed, with an excise tax of 10 percent added for recreational marijuana. In Las Vegas, as much as one-third of the purchase cost of recreational marijuana will go toward taxes. The state’s tax department anticipates up to $60 million in tax revenues by summer 2019, MarketWatch reported.

 

[mitchgo]

You have to love this story. Hell, you have to love the headline.

Some governors are more helpful than others.

Nevada dispensaries running out of marijuana; governor steps in

http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2017/07/08/nevada-fire-resources/452606001/

 

[Baron23]

Nevada governor backs emergency regulations amid marijuana shortage
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval endorsed emergency regulations to combat a shortage of marijuana at legal recreational retailers in the state.

The state law legalizing recreational marijuana starting this month dictated that wholesale alcohol distributors be granted exclusive rights to transport marijuana for the first 18 months of legal sales, but a lack of approved distributors has created a potential shortage, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.

"Based on reports of adult-use marijuana sales already far exceeding the industry's expectations at the state's 47 licensed retail marijuana stores, and the reality that many stores are running out of inventory, the Department must address the lack of distributors immediately. Some establishments report the need for delivery within the next several days," Department of Taxation spokeswoman Stephanie Klapstein said.

Seven liquor wholesalers have applied for distribution licenses, but failed to meet regulations. The Department of Taxation will vote on a regulation Thursday that would allow the department to grant licenses to a larger pool of distributors.

"We continue to work with the liquor wholesalers who have applied for distribution licenses, but most don't yet meet the requirements that would allow us to license them," Klapstein said. "Even as we attempted to schedule the final facility inspection for one of the applicants this week, they told us their facility was not ready and declined the inspection. As of mid-day Friday, not one distribution license has been issued."

There were more than 40,000 sales during the first weekend recreational marijuana retail was legal, KRNV reported, doubling the estimated amount. The Nevada Dispensary Association also estimated dispensaries made about $3 million in sales and the state made about $1 million in tax revenue between Saturday and Tuesday of this week.

Tax Department executive director, Deonne E. Contine worried stores may run out of inventory, leading customers to purchase marijuana illegally.

"Without the ability to license marijuana distributors to continue the flow of product to the retail store, a high likelihood exists that consumers will revert to the black market," Contine said.

Wow, they sure have some first world problems with their MJ program in NV. In MD, we can't even get licenses issued after five f*cking years. sigh.

 

[Baron23]

Judge denies injunction against Nevada pot distribution
By Sean Whaley Review-Journal Capital Bureau
July 24, 2017 - 4:15 pm


CARSON CITY — A Carson City judge on Monday rejected a request by a group of liquor distributors to stop emergency regulations allowing Nevada marijuana licensees to distribute recreational pot to retail stores.

The case was heard by Carson City District Judge James Todd Russell, who initially expressed skepticism about what emergency existed that required the adoption of the regulations on July 13 by the Nevada Tax Commission.

But after listening to arguments for 90 minutes, Russell denied a request for a temporary restraining order, finding that one reason cited as justification for the regulations, the protection of state tax revenues, had merit.

Kevin Benson, the attorney representing the alcohol distributors, said there was no emergency requiring rules allowing for the distribution of marijuana by entities other than alcohol distributors.

“Because the department itself is at fault for creating the situation that it now claims is an emergency, it cannot use that as a basis to short-circuit the rule making process,” Benson said in his filing.

Chief Deputy Attorney General William McKean said the emergency rules signed by Gov. Brian Sandoval cited a loss of tax revenue from sales if there was an inadequate supply.

Benson said the Tax Commission had the deck stacked against his clients in passing the emergency regulation, a characterization disputed by McKean.

“The department doesn’t have a thumb on the scale,” McKean said.

The ballot measure legalizing the sale of recreational marijuana approved by voters last year reserves distribution rights to alcohol licensees for 18 months unless it was found that there was a shortage of distributors.

The request for court action was filed by the Independent Alcohol Distributors and a Carson City liquor distributor, Palidin, which is seeking to distribute marijuana.


McKean that the statement of emergency signed by Gov. Brian Sandoval cited a loss of tax revenue, the need to stop black market sales of marijuana and protecting against economic loss to Nevada businesses, employees and investors.

Benson said most of the taxes generated from recreational marijuana sales are going to the state’s rainy day fund and so any shortfall will not create a financial problem for the state budget.

Russell was not convinced by the black market argument but said protecting state revenues was a valid concern.

Benson said his clients will attempt to convince the Tax Commission that there is no shortage of liquor distributors willing to participate and that the exclusivity to the industry should remain in place for the 18-month perio

 

[Baron23]

Anti-Marijuana Group Takes Aim at Nevada Rules
Opponents of recreational marijuana say Nevada will be hit with “very serious unintended consequences” if the state does not tighten its regulations of the legal cannabis market.

Kevin Sabet, president of the national anti-pot group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, hammered Nevada for what he called weak restrictions on marijuana edibles and concentrates, a lax tracking system and advertising rules that will increase the risks to public health.

“We think Nevada should be very, very concerned,” Sabet during a media teleconference Monday. “The cost of legalization will far outweigh the benefits for the residents of Nevada in the long run.”

Nevada officials noted that SAM opposed the ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana and argued that Sabet’s criticisms reflect “a limited understanding of the law and how some of the regulatory provisions came to be.”

“The Governor has continuously called for a well-regulated, restricted and respected recreational marijuana industry in Nevada, and the Department has carried that charge every step of the way as we’ve implemented this program,” Tax Department spokeswoman Stephanie Klapstein said.

Sabet repeated many of the arguments made by opponents of Nevada’s marijuana ballot measure and leaned heavily on examples from Colorado, where some officials have criticized the impacts of legal marijuana.

Colorado’s negative precedent

On July 19, the city leaders in Colorado Springs, Colorado, held a “secret meeting” with federal agents discussing the negative implications of legalized pot, according to KKTV 11 News.

Days later, a southern Colorado district attorney called marijuana the “gateway drug to homicide,” citing a Colorado Springs Police Department report that claimed a link between marijuana and eight of the city’s 22 murders in 2016.

Lax requirements on edibles and marijuana concentrates, which tend to contain significantly higher amounts of the high-inducing THC than the smoke variety, have led to more people having episodes of paranoia, Sabet said. He added this has also lead to a rise in children in Colorado becoming ill after mistakenly eating an edible.

Sabet lamented that weak tracking systems have allowed marijuana companies in Colorado to fuel the black market there.

Nevada’s efforts

Klapstein said the state has gone to great lengths to create the restricted market Sandoval wants. She specifically noted the governor’s marijuana task force, which included officials from law enforcement, public health, social services, public safety, local governments and the marijuana industry.

She noted that the state limits the amount of THC that can be purchased in marijuana concentrates and has regulations that make Nevada’s labeling requirements among the nation’s “strictest.”

“We take very seriously our responsibility to protect the health and safety of Nevada’s citizens, children and visitors,” Klapstein said. “We also understand that there are those who flat-out oppose marijuana, and that they are bound to take aim at our regulations, no matter how stringent they are.”

Sabet and SMART have to be the most out of touch, paranoid, facist "I vill tell you vat you can and canNOT do", ass-hats going. Wow, talking about pissing into the wind.

 

[momofthegoons]

On July 19, the city leaders in Colorado Springs, Colorado, held a “secret meeting” with federal agents discussing the negative implications of legalized pot

My thought is that this is more about alcohol and gambling revenue. While many of the casinos comp drinks.... people are more apt to gamble if they are drunk than high; wouldn't you think?

 

[Baron23]

Paiute Pot: Las Vegas Tribe Readies to Join Marijuana Market
The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe is preparing to open what it calls the largest free standing retail marijuana store in the country.

Less than a mile from downtown Las Vegas sits a sovereign nation and on it rests a 15,000-square foot facility that will eventually be called the Nu Wu Cannabis Marketplace.

“This is going to be the single largest standalone cannabis dispensary, if I’m not mistaken, in the nation,” said Tribal Chairman Benny Tso as he showed News 3 crews the unfinished retail space located on Main Street near Washington Avenue.

The tribe already runs a golf course and a discount smoke shop near the site of the dispensary— however, sales are slowing and Chairman Tso says the legal cannabis industry could give the tribe and the surrounding area a much-needed economic shot in the arm.

“What we're trying to do is create an economic driver for the tribe and create an economic driver for this area. There's lots of needs for jobs over here,” said Chairman Tso.

Nu Wu Cannabis Marketplace is expected to employ about 100 people – with priority given to tribal members. However, Tso said they will open employment opportunities to the public.

While Nevada voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, there were even more hurdles for Nevada’s native tribes.

Senate Bill 375 paved the path for the use and sale of marijuana on tribal lands and on July 18, Governor Brian Sandoval signed a compact with the Las Vegas Paiutes, giving them the green light to join the so-called green market.

“Vegas is big for tourism and just like we do with our smoke shop and our golf resort ... we're looking to do the same with this,” said Chairman Tso.

Sen. Tick Segerblom told News 3 the tribe’s dispensary will still have to charge customers taxes but that tax revenue will go to the tribe instead of the state.

Chairman Tso told News 3 the tribe’s marijuana products will be priced competitively. He projects the retail store to open up shop in early September.


Go, you crazy Paiutes, go you!! (pronounced Pie Utes....like utes of America eatin' pie LOL)

 

[Baron23]

Nevada approves opening up marijuana distribution rights

The Department of Taxation decided Thursday that there are an inadequate number of liquor distributors interested in transporting marijuana to Nevada’s retail establishments, opening up the business to others.

The decision came after a telephone conference hearing bringing the industry, agency officials and the public up to date on whether the alcohol industry alone is sufficient to distribute pot to points of sale around the state.

Deonne Contine, executive director of the tax department, said her goal has been to make the program work, not to include or exclude anyone.

“The capacity of only liquor wholesalers to serve the market seems lacking,” Contine said after more than two hours of testimony.

The agency will begin processing distribution licenses to marijuana licensees, Contine said.

“I think the evidence is fairly clear today that this market needs to be opened up,” she said.

The alcohol industry was given the exclusive right for 18 months to distribute recreational marijuana under the ballot measure that legalized sales. But that exclusivity was based on having enough distributors to fill the need to the state’s 50 licensed retail stores.

The Independent Alcohol Distributors twice went to court in Carson City to challenge Tax Department decisions to open the distribution process because of a perceived lack of interest from liquor wholesalers.

Contine said nine applications from alcohol distributors have been received by the agency, with four now licensed and two pending. There were 17 completed responses from 61 licensed wholesale dealers.

One liquor licensee is distributing in Clark County, according to the agency.

A Las Vegas city representative said there were three licensed within the city with one pending.

Just a little fight at the MJ $$ trough.

 

[Baron23]

And just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water....duDum...duDum...

Judge halts Nevada marijuana regulators’ licensing move

By Associated Press August 13 at 3:34 PM
LAS VEGAS — For now, Nevada marijuana regulators won’t be able to issue pot distribution licenses to businesses other than liquor wholesalers after all.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2uT17Fd) that a judge on Friday sided with the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada, who have the exclusive rights to deliver recreational marijuana to sellers for 18 months.

The ruling comes a day after the Nevada Department of Taxation decided on Thursday to open up the market in order to meet demand since legal recreational marijuana sales started July 1.

The judge said the alcohol distributors are owed their due process after winning the rights from the November election ballot question approved by voters.

Six liquor wholesalers are already licensed.

A hearing is scheduled this week.

 

[Baron23]

Ah, just another donnybrook of incompetence brought to you by our professional political class.

Nevada tax director: Legal battle sending weed buyers back to black market
The protracted legal fight has created a delivery bottleneck


By Scott Sonner, Associated Press

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada’s marijuana regulators are headed back to court in a turf battle with liquor wholesalers over exclusive rights to distribute cannabis products to the state’s new recreational retailers.

Nevada’s Taxation Department says the protracted legal fight has created a delivery bottleneck that’s undermining an otherwise robust marijuana industry and the state revenue that comes with it.

Legal sales started with a bang July 1. But Tax Director Deonne Contine says the tiny distribution network’s inability to keep pace with demand is forcing up prices and sending buyers back to the black market.

Related stories

• Las Vegas threatens to close weed businesses that promote public consumption
• Reversal in Nevada: Judge halts marijuana distribution move
• Big change: Nevada to start handing out weed distribution licenses beyond liquor wholesalers

She says it’s also jeopardizing worker safety at dispensaries forced to stockpile supplies and huge amounts of cash to accommodate erratic deliveries.

A Carson City judge plans to hear her request Thursday to lift the latest injunction blocking licenses for anyone other than alcohol distributors.

 

[Baron23]

well, they also dither around a bit in NV, but they sure seem to clean up their messes a lot faster than MD, or many other states. Ok, the MJ can be delivered now....wow.

Nevada Judge Clears Way for More Cannabis Licenses
The Associated Press
August 17, 2017

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada judge has cleared the way for the state’s marijuana regulators to start issuing cannabis distribution licenses to businesses other than existing alcohol wholesalers.


Carson City District Judge James Russell lifted a temporary restraining order Thursday that had forced the state to adhere to a provision of the ballot measure voters approved in November providing liquor wholesalers exclusive rights to marijuana distribution for 18 months unless they couldn’t keep up with market demand.


RELATED STORY
Some Nevada Cannabis Retailers ‘Running on Fumes’
Russell said after an hour-long hearing there’s overwhelming evidence that alcohol wholesalers don’t have the capability to meet the needs of dozens of recreational cannabis dispensaries from Las Vegas to Reno.

He says a group of alcohol distributors that filed suit over the matter is free to appeal their case to the Nevada Tax Commission, as required by law. But he says he has no power to supersede the authority of the state agency that recently determined there’s an insufficient number of alcohol businesses to handle the job.

Nevada’s Taxation Department says the protracted legal fight has created a delivery bottleneck that’s undermining an otherwise robust marijuana industry and the state revenue that comes with it.


RELATED STORY
Nevada Regulators Could Scrap Home Cannabis Delivery
Legal sales started with a bang July 1. But Tax Director Deonne Contine says the tiny distribution network’s inability to keep pace with demand is forcing up prices and sending buyers back to the black market.

She says it’s also jeopardizing worker safety at dispensaries forced to stockpile supplies and huge amounts of cash to accommodate erratic deliveries.

 

[Baron23]

He's up, oh no...he's down. He's up again...oh, where's the humanity, he's down again, he's up....ad nauseam

Is this whole state schizophrenic? This is really just the pigs fighting over spots at the trough, once again.

Nevada Pot License Expansion on Hold Again Until August 29

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s marijuana regulators have agreed to delay the expansion of distribution licensing to meet growing demand at pot retail stores until the state tax commission can hear another appeal from a group of state liquor wholesalers next week.

A Carson City judge lifted an injunction last week that had prohibited the Nevada Taxation Department from licensing anyone other than alcohol businesses to transport recreational marijuana from cultivators to dispensaries.

Judge James Russell said he had no authority to override the department’s decision earlier this month that there weren’t enough alcohol distributors to keep up with demand.

He said the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada must first exhaust all administrative remedies and file a formal appeal with the Tax Commission.

The commission agreed Friday not to license any non-alcohol entities for distribution until the panel hears the appeal Aug. 29.