Just because cannabis is legalized within a state, doesn’t mean institutions will allow its usage. In a story that recalls nursing homes in Florida, the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee will hear differing opinions this week on whether they should permit cannabis consumption on casino floors.
Attorney Brian Barnes and Cassandra Farmington, CEO of Marijuana Business Daily, will be among the solicited opinions heard by the 12-person committee. Their task is to conclude if the state’s recreational marijuana industry and its casino industry can work together or not.
During last November’s election, Nevada voters passed recreational marijuana usage by a 54 percent to a 46 percent approval. The law currently only allows for private consumption of marijuana.
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That casinos and cannabis might find a way to coexist seems like a long shot. Just this year the Gaming Commission refused casinos from hosting any marijuana-related events in their facilities. Casinos were also advised not to have any professional relationship with the cannabis industry, eliminating any chance of marijuana consumption on casino grounds.
“We’re not setting policy here. We are discussing and interpreting the law as it stands,” Commission Chairman Tony Alamo said in August. “Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug making it illegal under federal law.”
Wynn Resorts allegedly went as far as barring MassRoots CEO Isaac Dietrich from its rewards membership program because of his ties to the cannabis industry.
Though the City of Sin might seem a natural locale to revolutionize cannabis into mainstream acceptance, its leaders haven’t welcomed such an initiative. While these new opinions from cannabis industry leaders might change their minds, it doesn’t appear likely that will happen.
