Can a person buy medical marijuana on the Strip, or in Vegas in general, with an out-of-state medical marijuana card?
This is a timely question since, prior to March 23, you couldn't buy medicinal marijuana on the Strip, period.
But last Wednesday was the day that Essence opened its third dispensary in the Las Vegas area and the first on the Strip. Well, technically, not quite on the Strip: It's at 2307 S. Las Vegas Blvd., which places it north of Sahara Avenue, the northern terminus of the official "Strip." It's just a stoner's throw from party haven SLS Las Vegas and a short walk south of the high-rising Stratosphere.
Those seeking medicinal weed will be the beneficiaries of what The Cannabist calls "the most liberal reciprocity law in the U.S." Show your medical-marijuana license, a note from your doctor, and proof of identity, then sign an affidavit attesting that (among other things) you're over 21, and you're good to go. However, you can't try comparison-shopping. Once you've purchased at, say, Essence, any subsequent purchases can be there and there only.
Although Nevada has a small base of medical-pot users (fewer than 7,000 as of 2014), heavy tourist traffic is expected. After all, California accounts for 27 percent of Las Vegas' tourism and the Golden State is home to at least 570,000 medicinal marijuana patients who can use our dispensaries. By the same token, Nevadans can get their needs met in California, Colorado, Washington State, and any others that have passed reciprocity laws.
National Cannabis Industry Association Deputy Director Taylor West told The Cannabist, "Giving patients the ability to legally access medical marijuana when they’re visiting a legal medical state just makes sense." Dixie Elixir Chief Marketing Officer Joe Hodas, however, warned against expecting a Nevada gold rush. "The red card reciprocity won't have a huge impact on their tourism because it's a small number of people, many of whom were probably already going to Vegas. It might be a convenience, but if I have a red card, I can already get my medicine in my own state," he said.
Even so, don't try bringing your home stash into Vegas: If caught, that will get you into hot water with the lawmen. It's restrictions such as that which make Essence owner Armen Yemenidjian, son of former Tropicana CEO Alex Yemenidjian and himself a *former executive at the property, optimistic. He thinks his Las Vegas Boulevard dispensary will draw as much as 90 percent of its business from tourists, especially with 42 million descending upon Las Vegas every year. "Some people may not want to travel to places where it's not legal, so it has the potential to increase tourism," he told the Los Angeles Times. (*This was prior to the Trop's purchase by Penn National, while the state Gaming Control Board has also ruled that those with interests in the marijuana business cannot also be financially associated with licensed gaming operations.)
Yemenidjian's product lines, which include lip balms, vape pens, infused honey sticks, and vegan pills, are tailored to treat different conditions, including chronic pain, insomnia, psychiatric symptoms, and nausea and vomiting. You can also get a free consultation with an on-site registered nurse. "Patients can cook with cannabis-infused butter, munch on a coconut macaroon laced with tetrahydrocannabinol … the active ingredient in marijuana, or simply smoke a joint made with potent cannabis flower, the LA Times reported. Considering that Yemenidjian has a 55,000-acre cultivation site within a mile of the Strip, watching marijuana grow could become Las Vegas' newest tourist attraction – especially if a ballot proposition to legalize recreational use passes this November. Either way, medicinal marijuana looks like it will be big business for the Silver State.
