Clark County preparing for cannabis lounges

Clark County officials are intimately monitoring the state’s efforts to modulate cannabis depletion lounges, a process that volition mostly pass however the region sets its ain expectations for the marijuana industry’s expansion.

When they unfastened this twelvemonth successful Nevada arsenic expected, following support successful the authorities Legislature past summer, lounges volition supply locals and tourists with places to devour marijuana. But first, the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board indispensable finalize regulations, which section jurisdictions whitethorn past fortify if they wish.

While region readying remains successful the aboriginal stages, commissioners connected Tuesday provided penetration into factors they are apt to code earlier alleged societal usage venues open, raising concerns astir perchance having to usage region funds to wage for increases successful staffing and seeking ways to hasten investigations of odor complaints.

Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick said the region had hired 50 further employees to grip other enactment aft ineligible cannabis income began successful the authorities successful July 2017. She suggested that concern licensing fees should beryllium utilized to wage for further employees that volition beryllium needed successful aerial quality, concern licensing and different departments.

“Or we’re going to person to fig out, erstwhile we look astatine our budget, what that looks similar due to the fact that it’s conscionable much for america to do,” she said.

Commissioner Tick Segerblom, who spearheaded the archetypal effort to legalize lounges arsenic a authorities legislator successful 2017, called for the region to clasp a nationalist gathering with manufacture representatives arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent month, arsenic the region begins to find section regulations.

While helium acknowledged not wanting to get excessively acold retired successful beforehand of the state’s efforts, “I don’t privation to get excessively acold down either due to the fact that this is going to beryllium a immense industry.”

Unanswered questions

Consumption lounges volition beryllium allowed to either beryllium attached oregon straight adjacent to an existing dispensary, oregon to beryllium separate, autarkic establishments, and they volition beryllium licensed by authorities and section governments.

“From my perspective, the determination of these dispensaries and evidently the associated depletion lounge is thing the public’s going to beryllium precise funny in,” said Commissioner Ross Miller, who asked for the treatment Tuesday.

Miller, who arsenic an lawyer had represented companies which challenged the state’s process for awarding multi-million dollar dispensary licenses, said helium believed that a nationalist proceeding should beryllium required for each approved lounges.

It is unclear however galore licenses volition yet beryllium fixed retired — initially, determination volition beryllium 20 for autarkic lounges — oregon however galore volition beryllium successful the unincorporated county, officials said.

Commission Chairman Jim Gibson questioned whether the exertion could support up with authorities expectations to efficaciously power odors of marijuana, peculiarly outside.

“Whatever comes retired of this needs to pb america each to exertion that truly works,” helium said, adding that dispensaries, dissimilar cultivation facilities, person not typically had to woody with odors.

“That whitethorn mean the gathering is wholly inadequate to accommodate capturing and maintaining and retaining everything that is there,” helium said.

Las Vegas keeping watch

While the region is opening to code societal usage venue regulations, the metropolis of Las Vegas is watching the state’s process successful bid to find what it whitethorn request to update successful its existing ordinance.

In May 2019, city lawmakers approved lounges wrong metropolis limits, but the authorities Legislature barred section governments from licensing immoderate specified concern for 2 years portion the authorities studied the issue.

The metropolis has already identified insignificant changes it indispensable marque to its ordinance and it should person a timeline for formally amending its measure pursuing the authorities Cannabis Compliance Board’s adoption of last regulations, according to metropolis spokesperson Jace Radke.

Commissioner Justin Jones suggested that the region and cities successful Southern Nevada should enactment together.

“It would beryllium bully if we could beryllium connected the aforesaid leafage arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable with different jurisdictions truthful we don’t person antithetic processes successful antithetic parts of the valley,” helium said.

Contact Shea Johnson astatine sjohnson@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ connected Twitter.