(ReviewJournal) First, the law doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1 . Las Vegas police said Wednesday that officers will continue to enforce the current law, which outlaws any nonmedical marijuana possession until the new law takes effect. After Jan. 1, adults 21 and older can possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis, or one-eighth of an ounce of cannabis concentrate. When the general public will be able to buy marijuana from a store is unclear. The Taxation Department has until Jan. 1, 2018, to craft regulations and licensing to allow the stores to operate.
State Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, said he’d like to mimic what Oregon did after the state voted to approve retail marijuana in 2014. The Oregon Legislature grandfathered medical marijuana dispensaries just months after the law was voted in, which allowed residents to buy cannabis at those stores while lawmakers worked to complete the full regulations. Although cannabis in Nevada will be legal, smoking or consuming it in public will remain outlawed, punishable by a fine of up to $600. The number of retail shops in Nevada will be limited by counties’ populations. Clark County will have up to 80 stores and Washoe up to 20, according to the legislation. All other Nevada counties, including Nye, will be allowed up to two. Medical marijuana dispensaries operating now will have first dibs on those retail licenses.
