Nevada cannabis lounges announced

Nevada cannabis lounges are coming. Cannabis lounges take legalization to a new level by allowing consenting adults to use cannabis openly socially.

Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board announced the news in late June.

A statement read, “Today the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) voted unanimously to approve regulations governing the licensing and operation of cannabis consumption lounges.”

Nevada Cannabis Lounge Regulations

The regulations were developed with over fifteen public meetings over the last year. Expect the first licenses in the fall, when the lounges will be open to the public until Thanksgiving, if not earlier.

The Nevada legislature got the green light from voters. The state government prepared two bills for licensing. One for retail cannabis lounges where consumers can purchase and consume cannabis and another for independent cannabis consumption lounges. The latter only sells disposable or ready-to-consume products.

In other words, cannabis consumption lounges in Nevada fall into two categories. One for connoisseurs who are likely to be deeply rooted in their favorite restaurants. And one for the single serve customer, the tourist who wants a place to smoke and chill and doesn’t want to bring anything in the rental car.

Cannabis Lounges Wave of the future

There have been many cannabis lounges. Portland, Oregon residents once enjoyed the world-famous Cannabis Cafe. That was before the political authorities shut it down.

California doesn’t shy away from consumer lounges. While not part of the state government’s original legalization plan, the long history of medicinal cannabis in the state has blurred the lines between city and state laws. The state government leaves the decision to the municipalities for the time being.

San Francisco is (among other things) lenient towards public consumption and allows consumption in licensed establishments. The City of Oakland is allowing medical and recreational cannabis companies to apply for a second license allowing on-site use.

West Hollywood is the only part of Los Angeles that licenses cannabis lounges. Palm Springs also has a license for cannabis lounges.

However, the city of Alameda (located on an island in the Bay Area) wins by a wide margin. When someone is approved for a cannabis retail license, their on-premises license is automatically included.

We could all learn from Alameda. And it seems that Nevada has. Alaska and Colorado already have cannabis lounge regulations. But compared to them, Nevada is largely libertarian. According to Nevada, basically anything can be a cannabis lounge.

Development of on-site consumption

The stereotypical cannabis lounge is not far from reality. They have sofas, chairs, tables and a snack bar. Others might include board games or dab bars, but the idea is that it’s a lounge, not a restaurant.

But Nevada cannabis lounge regulations go further. They do not prevent a restaurant from applying for an independent consumption license. When there’s a choice of alcohol or cannabis on-site, there’s no doubt that many restaurants choose cannabis. Just as many will stick with alcohol. But that assumes the Nevada legislature will force the election.

It’s Las Vegas, babe. Why not both?

Yoga studios that open April 20th to celebrate. Massage parlors that serve edibles before your massage. Movie theaters with dab rigs built into the chairs. Casinos and cannabis, need I say more?

There’s a reason Murray Rothbard hailed Las Vegas as the pinnacle of modern civilization. Nevada just proved once again why America – all things considered – really is the land of the free.