Nevada could become the first state to allow users of recreational marijuana to light up in clubs and lounges, a state legal body said this week, opening a new front in what is already a booming cannabis business.
The state Legislative Counsel Bureau said Monday that state law does not prohibit city or county governments from operating a lounge or facility in which patrons may use marijuana.
Cities and counties are allowed to adopt their own rules governing those businesses and decide whether they are required to obtain special permits, the bureau said.
STATE BY STATE: Nevada Cannabis News
The ruling means tourists and visitors may soon have a place to consume marijuana in public. Marijuana smoking is banned under state law in Nevada's hotels and casinos.
None of the four other states where marijuana is legal for recreational use — Washington, Colorado, Alaska and Oregon — currently allow so-called marijuana lounges. All four states restrict marijuana use to private residences. The three other states where legislators and regulators are finalizing rules in advance of legalized marijuana — California, Massachusetts and Maine — are not currently considering legal cannabis lounges.
Legalization advocates say marijuana lounges are a logical step, especially if states where marijuana is allowed hope to connect their pot industry to tourism.
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