Nevada: sale of recreational cannabis began on Saturday

The "City of Sins" should live up to its name a little more. Sales of recreational cannabis officially began this Saturday, the 1st^er July 2017. Following the cannabis legalization passed last November, any adult aged 21 or older will be able to purchase cannabis at any dispensary in the state of Nevada.

From the passage of the bill to the sale of the product, Nevada has been the fastest state to implement the law, compared to other U.S. states that have legalized recreational cannabis to date.

No excesses in sales

Every adult aged 21 and older will be able to purchase up to 28 grams of cannabis per transaction, as well as approximately 4 grams of edibles and cannabis concentrates. Nevada regulators have notified at least 17 cannabis dispensaries that they are authorized to sell recreational cannabis. Forty new dispensaries could be authorized as early as this week.

The cannabis industries estimate that cannabis sales in Nevada will exceed those in states that already sell recreational cannabis (such as Colorado, Oregon, and Washington) thanks to the city of Las Vegas, which welcomes 45 million tourists a year. By the end of the year, cannabis tourism is likely to skyrocket. Regulators estimate that 63% of Nevada dispensary customers will be tourists.

«Adults will now be able to buy cannabis the same way they buy alcohol—at a legal dispensary rather than from black-market dealers,» says Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). .

«Nevada residents voted for safer community-based services, new taxes, and a sensible cannabis policy. That’s exactly what we’re going to get,» he said.

Consumption is prohibited in public places

Even though the sale of cannabis is legal in the state of Nevada, it remains illegal at the federal level. Consumption in public places such as parks, hotels, concert venues, or on the street is still prohibited and punishable by a $600 fine. Consumption will therefore remain legal only in private settings.

Using cannabis on the front porch of one's home is permitted, but its use remains prohibited in all areas considered to be government property, from national forests to federally subsidized housing.

In other states, recreational cannabis sales are expected to begin next year, particularly in California, Maine, and Massachusetts. A legalization initiative similar to Nevada’s is expected to be introduced in Michigan by November 2018.