 Last year, Nevada’s Governor signed legislation to legalize cannabis consumption lounges.
And last week, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board announced that they have offical dates now for when license applications will begin being accepted. There is a small application window, that will be from October 14-27. They are issuing a total of 65 licenses. And they’ve indicated that those licenses will be issued very shortly after that. A member of the Cannabis Control Board, Riana Durrett, said that the, “[Existing] retail stores’ [lounges] will likely open a lot faster each because each company is automatically entitled to a license if they want it, and many have already been pre-approved.” 45 out of the 65 licenses available will be designated for existing retail stores. Many of these retail store owners have been preparing for this, and already have infrastructure in place so they will quickly be able to convert facilities into lounges. With all this in mind, there could be dozens of these existing retail stores who could get their consumption lounges opened for business by early 2023. Ms. Durrett also said that the Cannabis Control Board will also be, “doing a lottery for [the] additional 20 lounges for non-dispensary owners.” Those lounges would probably take a bit longer to open, due to time needed for building the facilities. The Las Vegas consumption lounges will be required to educate customers on proper limits and, like a bar, they will need to use discretion when serving customers who appear intoxicated. Lounges will also have plans in place for limiting impaired driving, such as partnering with rideshare companies, and/or having a no-tow policy so that patrons can take a taxi or uber home, and come back to get their car the next day without it having been towed. There are also state regulations for limiting secondhand smoke for employees, and for ensuring that consumption is not visible from the outside. Additionally, cannabis consumption lounges will not be allowed to sell alcohol, tobacco or nicotine products. Casinos will not be allowed to open consumption lounges, because the Nevada Gaming Commission has warned it’s members that cannabis cannot be allowed anywhere on their properties due to its federal Schedule I status. And for those wondering how the casinos will be feeling about this, well, so far they have not been supportive of this new venture, as it could clearly take away draw from their facilities. That’s what’s contributed to the delay in getting these lounges opened. Chris LaPorte, owner of Reset Vegas which is creating a cannabis restaurant in collaboration with Thrive Dispensary, thinks the casinos will not interfere further with the progress of consumption lounges. He said, “Cannabis is that new boom that Las Vegas has no choice but to accept. We hope federal regulations make it easier for our casino friends, but for now we’re creating a place for this tourism boom … It’s going to put heads in beds and that’s good for everyone here.” As for what we can expect to find in these soon-to-come cannabis consumption lounges, we have a few ideas already from some of the big retail stores in the area. One retail store actually already has their own consumption lounge. It’s owned and operated by the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe on their own sovereign land which is just a short drive from the downtown strip area. The tribe’s consumption lounge has been the only one in the state thus far, thanks to a state law that allows tribes to create their own regulations on state legal cannabis. The Paiute Tribe’s location is called the “NuWu Cannabis Marketplace” and adjacent Tasting Room. They offer flower, pre-rolls, dabs, edibles, and infused foods and beverages. They also can provide equipment such as bongs and pipes for you to use. The place is cozy, with wood beams and shelving all around giving it a natural sort of feel. There is also lots of comfy black leather seating and tables to settle into. The bright lights keep the place from feeling too dark. Overall, it sort of feels like being in a nice restaurant. While this set up is already working well for the tribe, they are also planning to expand further. The tribal council recently broke ground on a new 200,000 square foot location that they want to turn into more of a nightclub-style cannabis lounge. One existing retail store that definitely plans to open a lounge is Planet 13. They currently have the world’s largest dispensary, with 16,000 square-feet of retail shopping space. They also have a 4,500 square foot Mexican restaurant that they are planning to turn into a massive “entertainment complex.” Owners Larry Scheffler and Bob Groesbeck told Leafly it will be “a lounge of true luxury.” The site will be able to host 400 guests, and in addition to cannabis, it will also feature live music and food. Another venue that has spoke about their imminent plans is a downtown Las Vegas location owned by Chris LaPorte, who has also owned other successful nightclubs in the area. LaPorte’s latest company, called Reset Vegas, is teaming up with Thrive Dispensary to create a cannabis restaurant that features live music and DJs, along with cannabis infused gourmet foods, such as filet mignon. LaPorte said, “Picture classic Las Vegas and the lounge singing … We designed a supper club where you have great eats paired with well-curated music.” These are just a couple of the many plans coming soon to Las Vegas. It will be exciting to see all the other creative ways businesses will come up with to draw people in to their cannabis consumption lounges. We can't wait! Comments are closed.
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