Planet 13: the world's largest weed store opens in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is known for its excess. The capital of casinos and partying is now home to the world's largest weed dispensary: Planet 13. All neon and true to Vegas style, the dispensary displays giant, remote-controlled lotus flowers on its roof and an illuminated globe in front of its doors. The mega-store cost around $8 million to build. It aims to be an address for luxury tourism, and is strategically located within walking distance of the area's biggest casinos and hotels.

«We want it to become a destination.»

Planet 13 was born of a partnership between two businessmen, Larry Scheffler and Bob Groesbeck, a former suburban mayor who was initially opposed to legalization, but then got into the business when it was imminent. The latter applied for a license to open a dispensary, which he then had the idea of integrating into Larry Scheffler's facilities. And so it was, Planet 13 isn't just a cannabis store, it's also an entertainment complex with games and interactive art installations. For the moment, the whole thing only covers 3716m², but the building is over 10,000m², and the partners plan to fill this space with all sorts of things.

In particular, they plan to create a coffee shop, a tasting room for cannabis-infused beer and wine, a place to eat and, if the state allows it, a space lounge to smoke cannabis on site. The dispensary will benefit from the tourist appeal of Vegas, which welcomes some 40 million tourists a year. According to Bob Groesbeck, Planet 13 could serve 2,000 customers a day. The store is open 24/7, has around 30 sales staff and offers some 50 varieties of cannabis. A gram of good weed will cost around $20. The company has its own cultivation site 75km north of the city, with an annual production capacity of 1,134kg.

When the dispensary opened, the vice-president of Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association, Jim Lamb said: «It's like Steve Wynn when he opened the Mirage», the Mirage being one of the biggest casinos in Vegas and Steve Wynn one of the richest men in the world. The comparison is a little premature when you consider that Planet 13 Holdings Inc. (the parent company of Planet 13) posted sales of «barely» one million in the last quarter. The company is listed on the Canadian stock exchange with a market capitalization of $234 million.