Las Vegas City Council Approves Cannabis Consumption Lounges

The Las Vegas Strip is about to get even brighter.

City council members cleared the way for cannabis consumption lounges to open on Wednesday and opposed a motion to prevent Las Vegas from allowing these businesses. according to Las Vegas Review Journal.

The vote came after the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board gave the facility its final approval in June.

The board at the time set the procedures for becoming an owner of the lounge.

“The regulations approved today, along with the consumption lounge licensing and operational outline, lay the groundwork for greater inclusion in the Nevada cannabis industry,” the board said in a June release. All applicants are required to submit a diversity plan outlining actionable steps and goals for meaningful inclusion.In addition, half of the independent consumption lounge licenses in the first round are must be awarded to applicants for

“Before the open license period, [Cannabis Compliance Board] We plan to roll out tools and resources such as worksheets, video tutorials, and live webinars to help interested parties access the same information and successfully submit their applications. “CCB plans to begin the first licensing round for consumption lounges in the fall, allowing the first consumption lounges to open as early as the end of the year.”

The final regulatory approval comes nearly a year after Nevada legislators approved funding for the Cannabis Compliance Board, which is responsible for overseeing consumption lounges in the state.

Nevada cities can opt out of allowing consumption lounges in their jurisdiction. according to review journal, “After failing to respond to a letter from the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Commission earlier this month, the city automatically opted into the licensing process, but still had the opportunity to change course on Wednesday.”

Alderman Victoria Seaman filed a motion to opt out, but it was defeated 5-1 on Monday.

Seaman said voters told her, “I don’t support this because they want to be more in tourist areas, not residential areas.” As quoted by review journal.

But some see the lounge as another boon to Las Vegas’ vibrant tourism industry. It also serves as a haven for the thousands of out-of-towners who come to the city each week.as a local news station KSNVMore In other words, the state’s “current laws leave many people from out of town illegally consuming drugs on the streets and in hotel rooms,” but cannabis lounges would change that.

according to review journal.

“I think it is important for the city to consider the business opportunities that consumption lounges present. It’s also important to mitigate.” Alderman Olivia Diaz said to review journal after Wednesday’s vote“We still have a long way to go and some work to do.”

newspaper reported Twenty licenses will be awarded statewide for cannabis consumption lounges, half of which will go to social equality applicants — individuals in communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.

cannabis compliance committee announced Earlier this month, the application period for potential cannabis consumption lounge owners began on October 14 and ends on October 22.