First cannabis dispensary approved in Nevada on the Idaho border |

The border between Nevada and Idaho is getting a little greener.

Officials in Elko County, Nevada, signed a proposal last week to open a marijuana dispensary in Jackpot, Nevada, which is on the border between the two western states.

Elko County commissioners unanimously approved the license for the store, adding that the store could open as early as Monday, according to the Associated Press.

“We have no problems moving forward with the license,” said Justin Ames, Undersheriff of Elko County, at the commissioners’ meeting on Wednesday, as quoted by the Associated Press.

Elko Daily reported that the company known as Thrive Cannabis Marketplace “passed background checks” and “interviewed nearly 60 candidates for work in the pharmacy, with Elko and Jackpot residents being preferred.”

Until a month ago, according to Elko Daily, 35 people had been hired and paid.

The pharmacy’s proximity to Idaho, where marijuana is still illegal, drew attention to the approval process for approval.

The Thrive in jackpot will be “Nevada’s first along the Idaho Line,” according to the Associated Press, and its opening has caused concern among Idaho law enforcement agencies.

Across the line from Jackpot, commissioners in Twin Falls County, Idaho, had “raised safety concerns about the pharmacy on US Highway 93, which connects Jackpot and the city of Twin Falls,” according to the Associated Press.

The Associated Press reported that Idaho authorities “expect patrols to increase in the area once the pot shop opens”.

In a statement, Idaho State Police said anyone who engages in illegal behavior should be aware that they run the risk of attracting law enforcement attention.

Historically, conservative Idaho has been surrounded by neighbors who have embraced legalization: In the south, regulated marijuana sales began in Nevada in 2017; to the west, stores opened in Washington and Oregon in 2014 and 2015, respectively; and in the east, voters in Montana passed an election proposal last year to legalize adult recreational pot consumption.

The discrepancy in these laws has sparked some tension among officials in Idaho – and in some cases increased sales along the border.

A report released last year by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis found that marijuana sales along the Oregon-Idaho border were about 420 percent of the national average – a data point that was almost too on the nose.

“Obviously, recreational marijuana is not legal in Idaho, but even after the data is fed into a crude marginal tax model that takes into account income, number of retailers, tax rates, and the like, there remains a huge marginal effect,” Oregon Office of Economic analytical economist Josh Lehner wrote in the report. “Roughly speaking, about 75 percent of sales in Oregon and closer to 35 percent of sales in Washington in the counties along the Idaho border are due to the border effect itself, not local socio-economic conditions.”

Lehner noted that the increase in sales along the Oregon-Idaho border likely related to the presence of three stores along that state line.

“Initially, the closest retailers to Idaho were in Baker County. [Oregon], but that changed last summer, ”explained Lehner. “There are now three retailers in Ontario [Oregon] (Malheur County) right on the border. These new retailers are 30-60 minutes closer to potential customers traveling to Oregon via I-84 than are Baker County retailers.

“As you’d expect, Baker County sales plummeted 80 percent when these new Malheur County stores went online. This is a consequence of the border effect. Proximity or covered distances are just as important as product availability, prices and taxes. “