Nevada Governor Inks Cannabis Reform Legislation

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation into law June 14 that makes several changes to the state’s cannabis laws, including increasing possession limits and allowing all adult-use dispensaries to serve medical patients.

Senate Bill 277, which passed the Nevada Legislature earlier this month, more than doubles the possession and purchase limits for adult-use cannabis, according to a Forbes report.

The legislation increases the cap from 1 ounce to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, as well as raises the limit on cannabis concentrates from one-eighth of an ounce to a quarter ounce, the news outlet reported.

The bill also allows all adult-use cannabis retailers to sell medical cannabis, according to Forbes, and starting next year, regulators will no longer issue new licenses for medical cannabis businesses except in local jurisdictions that have banned adult-use dispensaries.

S.B. 277 also eases restrictions on who can be employed in the cannabis industry. The legislation allows the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board to issue licenses to businesses with stakeholders who have past felony convictions as long as the regulatory body “determines that doing so would not pose a threat to the public health or safety or negatively impact the cannabis industry,” according to bill text cited by Marijuana Moment.

The legislation also removes a rule that prohibited Nevada’s cannabis industry from hiring individuals with certain past felony convictions, Forbes reported. Under the new law, those with such convictions can petition the state to work for a state-licensed cannabis business without first having their records expunged, according to the news outlet.

Finally, S.B. 277 requires the Nevada Cannabis Advisory Commission to conduct a study to determine what potential impact federal legalization and the removal of cannabis from the state’s Uniform Controlled Substances Act would have on the state’s cannabis industry, Forbes reported.

While portions of the bill take effect immediately, full implementation of the bill is expected on Jan. 1, 2024, according to the news outlet.

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