Nevada Governor Signs Executive Order Allowing Recreational Marijuana Sales to Begin July 1st
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has signed an executive order allowing recreational marijuana sales to begin on July 1st.
The order signed into law by Governor Sandoval allows currently operating medical cannabis dispensaries to begin selling marijuana to everyone 21 and older beginning July 1st. The governor’s order comes amid concerns that a judge’s order could block the early start of recreational marijuana sales, which was approved by state tax officials in May.
The new law explicitly allows licensed dispensaries to sell up to an ounce of cannabis to those 21 and older; this includes tourists. Once the state’s system of recreational cannabis retail outlets is established next year, dispensaries will go back to selling cannabis exclusively to qualifying patients with a physician recommendation. The early start to marijuana sales is due to the fact that possession of up to an ounce of marijuana is currently legal, despite there being no legal means of obtaining it.
Nevada currently has 60 dispensaries throughout the state, including 25 in the Las Vegas area, according to data from the state’s Department of Health.