Nevada's first cannabis lounge opened this weekend

A little over 2 years after the legalization of cannabis in Nevada, the government is opening its first «cannabis lounge,» which allows consumption on the premises.

A lounge with the feel of a wine-tasting room

On Saturday, the Vegas Tasting Room has opened its doors inside a 1,500-square-meter cannabis hypermarket. The 120-square-meter lounge is located on tribal land two blocks north of downtown Las Vegas. It offers samples of 20 of the store’s 1,000 cannabis-based products, including concentrates, THC cartridges, and even THC-infused beer.

Given the size of the samples (0.2 g for flowers and 0.1 g for concentrates), there should be too little THC to be seriously affected by the tasting. However, for those with a low tolerance, the lounge has established partnerships with local taxi companies.

«It’s an experience that lets you learn what cannabis is all about, and get a complete profile of a cannabis plant, including its terpene profiles and all its aromas,» explains Benny Tso, the former chairman of the Paiute Tribe. «We’re not going to get people high with such small amounts, and we don’t want to endanger our roads.»

The venue can accommodate up to 75 people, who may stay for a maximum of 30 minutes.

The field is wide open until 2021

Despite the legalization of the cannabis: Nevada bans the opening of places where people consume. And what if the Vegas Tasting Room It was able to open only because it is located on tribal lands that have special status under a 2017 law allowing them to negotiate directly with the governor and bypass local regulations.

The state governor voted this summer a law to delay the opening genuine lounges until 2021. The 45 million tourists who visit Las Vegas each year therefore have little choice but to consume what they can buy: by breaking the law. The vast majority of hotels, casinos, and public places prohibit cannabis use. That doesn’t stop Vegas from sell $1 million worth of cannabis per day.