Las Vegas opened their first regulated cannabis lounge.
A plan seven years in the making, Las Vegas recently opened the state’s first regulated cannabis consumption lounge (1). In 2017, recreational cannabis was legalized in the Silver State by registered voters (2). The first regulated cannabis lounge is called “Smoke and Mirrors” and located in the Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, who owns the venue, which is not far from the Las Vegas Strip at 2975 South Sammy Davis Jr. Dr. (3,4). It will be one of 19 other conditionally approved lounges which will open at later times.
Smoke and Mirrors’ first sale was purchased by Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, who is an advocate for cannabis, which took place during the lounges’ grand opening at 4:20pm MST (1,3). Prior to recreational cannabis consumption lounges being approved, individuals who publicly consumed cannabis would be fined a specified fee (2). “We’ve legalized marijuana back in 2017. It’s taken another seven years to get here. It’s time. I’m hoping this is the start of something big,” Segerblom commented (3). “It’s just an incredibly slow, complicated process. But now we have the first one opening. Hopefully they’ll go faster from here on and then it’ll just be part of the Las Vegas experience.”
Nevada is a popular area for tourism but Las Vegas receives a significant amount of tourism and haven’t been able to benefit too much due to not having a space to consume the cannabis products they were purchasing (3).
“The reality is you could buy it, but you can’t use it in the dispensary and if you’re a tourist, you can’t use it,” Segerblom stated (3).
“It’s more than a venue, it’s a platform for the cannabis industry as a whole, where tourists and locals alike can be a part of a new chapter in the evolution of hospitality,” Chris LaPorte stated, managing partner of RESET, which is a Las Vegas-based cannabis hospitality company (4).
Smoke and Mirrors will provide customers with a variety of products, including cannabis-infused cocktails (4).
California is also looking to establish “cannabis cafes” in their state which first legalized cannabis in 2016 (5). “To be clear, we’re not saying that coffee shops should be allowed to sell cannabis,” Matt Haney mentioned after Assembly Bill 374’s veto (5). “We’re saying that cannabis shops should be allowed to sell coffee. It shouldn’t be illegal for an existing cannabis business that already allows onsite smoking to move away from only selling marijuana and instead have the opportunity to grow and create jobs by offering coffee or live jazz.”
Cannabis consumption lounges hopefully will become more accepted, further strengthening the cannabis industry.
References
Ep 24, Part III: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.