Because of the way the law is written in Nevada, they may very well be the first state to allow cannabis lounges where you can consume weed on the premises. This could give way to even more tourism and sales in an already flourishing legal state with casinos and luxury hotels to also tempt clientele who want to spend, spend, spend.
Cities and counties will be able to decide if special permits will be needed in their areas, but this is still an enormous step in the right direction and will be the proving grounds for marijuana social clubs.
Smoking is banned in casinos and hotels and, much like the rest of the states allowing for marijuana use, there is nowhere else to go and consume legally. Social clubs open the door to true pot tourism and a whole lot of happy customers. Even states like Maine, California and Massachusetts, that are still working their laws, haven’t made provisions for social pot use.
Tom Angell, founder of Marijuana Majority, told The Hill that, “Allowing regulated social use areas is a good solution that recognizes cannabis consumers’ rights to congregate just like alcohol drinkers can in bars while also protecting non-consumers’ rights not to inhale secondhand smoke. It should be a no brainer, especially in tourist towns like Las Vegas where visitors don’t have private residences they can go back to imbibe.”
Senator Tick Segerblom (D), who drove much of Nevada’s legalization efforts, believes cannabis will attract new tourism to the state. “We’re going to market this thing around the world,” he said optimistically.
Skeptics, however, say that crime could go up with the pot shops and potential lounges.
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Cities will still need to pass their own codes regarding weed lounges since state legislature killed a bill to allow them earlier this year. They will need to decide how, when and where the social clubs may operate.
Nevada became the fifth state to legalize marijuana on July 1st, a mere eight months after voters passed the law. California, Maine and Massachusetts, all of which passed laws at the same time, will begin marijuana sales later next year.
