The wait is over! January 1 came and went! Las Vegas recreational marijuana is now officially here!
However, before you chow down on cannabis cookies and run off to see the next Cirque Du Soleil show, you need to keep a few things in mind.
This isn’t the Wild West. Yes, they call us “Sin City,” but there are laws that govern Las Vegas recreational marijuana use. And we expect that those laws will be strictly enforced.
We don’t want you wandering down the Strip, high as a kite, totally unprepared for the brave new world we’re now living in. That’s why we at Dr. Green Relief came up with The Las Vegas Recreational Marijuana Survival Guide.
Read it, print it out and refer to it whenever you need to.
Now let’s get down to business!
(1) Purchasing and Possession
We figure these are the top two questions most folks have: where can I buy Las Vegas recreational marijuana, and how much can I buy?
Here’s the deal:
- You must be 21 years or older to purchase and possess marijuana.
- You can purchase and possess up to one ounce of marijuana or one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana concentrate.
And now for the kicker…
- You still can’t legally purchase recreational marijuana from anyone. Not even from a dispensary.
- Dispensaries are currently only allowed to sell medical marijuana to card-carrying patients. Unless you have a medical marijuana card, you’re in for a long wait.
- The Department of Taxation has until January 1, 2018, to figure out how recreational marijuana sales will be regulated. Because of this, it’s possible you might not be able to buy recreational marijuana until mid-to-late 2018.
So what can you do?
(2) Growing
Yes, you can grow your own marijuana plants for recreational purposes. Here are the ground rules:
- A person can cultivate and harvest up to 6 marijuana plants for his or her personal use. However, you can only have up to 12 plants at a single residence. Your plants also can’t be visible from a public space, using normal, unaided vision.
- You can only keep up to one ounce of usable marijuana, or one-eighth of an ounce of concentrate, from your plant.
- If your plants produce more than an ounce, you can donate up to one ounce of marijuana to another person, as long as the person is 21 or older. The key word here is “donate.” You’re not allowed to receive any money in return.
- According to Nevada’s recreational marijuana initiative, you can’t grow marijuana if you live within 25 miles of a licensed “retail marijuana store.” Jennifer Solas, the president of W.E.C.A.N., told NBC News 3 that if dispensaries aren’t selling recreational marijuana by the new year, it would be okay for Nevadans to grow their own.
- However, once dispensaries do start selling recreational weed, most of the growers in Clark County and Washoe County will need to get rid of their plants, A-SAP. Otherwise, they’ll be violating the 25-mile radius rule. Growing will only be an option for folks in rural Nevada.
Getting Seeds
- If you can grow marijuana, the obvious question is, “Can you legally purchase seeds anywhere?”
- The initiative states in Section Three that the term “marijuana” applies to all parts of the cannabis plant, including the seeds. Given that it’s illegal to buy or sell marijuana flowers, our understanding of the language is that it’s also illegal to buy or sell the seeds.
- All that being said, we’re not lawyers. If you need more information on how to legally grow recreational marijuana, we recommend that you contact an attorney.
(3) Responsible Use
- Marijuana affects people differently. Some people get high off of one hit from a bong. Other people, especially regular marijuana users, need several hits in order to feel the desired effects.
- If you’ve never used marijuana before, we strongly advise you to ingest a little at a time so that you can see what your tolerance level is.
- This is especially true for edibles such as cookies, brownies or candies. Depending on your metabolism, an edible can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours to kick in. Once it does, the high is much deeper, more powerful and longer-lasting than if you had just smoked the marijuana.
- When eating an edible for the first time, first check to see how many milligrams of THC are in each serving. According to Digipath Labs’ Patient Handbook, servings with 2 to 5 mg are appropriate for beginners, and servings with 6 to 10 mg are more appropriate for experienced users.
- Digipath recommends taking the smallest possible dose and waiting six hours for it to metabolize before taking more.
- We also recommend that you don’t mix marijuana with other intoxicating substances like alcohol, prescription drugs or illegal drugs. Marijuana is extremely potent on its own, and if you mix it with other substances, you’re more likely to put your health and safety at risk.
(4) Public Use
- If you’re fantasizing about smoking a bowl as you hurtle down Freemont Street’s Slotzilla zip line, now’s the time to let that dream go. Sorry, but you’re not allowed to use marijuana in public.
- The Strip, the inside of casinos, hotel rooms, parking lots, parks — basically any place where the public can visibly see you is off-limits.
- When you use marijuana, make sure it’s inside of a private residence.
(5) Driving
- It’s not only illegal to drive while intoxicated, but it’s also illegal to have over a certain amount of THC in your bloodstream while driving. The limit is currently two nanograms of THC per milliliter.
- The problem is that marijuana can be found in your system 24 hours after you’ve smoked. Even if you’re no longer under the influence of marijuana, you can still be charged with a DUI if you have more than the legal limit in your bloodstream.
- This presents a huge challenge for both recreational and medical marijuana users because we all have different tolerance levels. However, state Senator Tick Segerblom is working to get the law changed.
(6) Traveling
- Nevada shares a border with two other states that have legalized recreational marijuana: California and Oregon. But that doesn’t mean you can travel to those states with your marijuana in tow.
- Transporting marijuana across state lines is a federal crime. It doesn’t matter if the state you’re traveling to has legalized recreational marijuana. The federal government still considers marijuana to be a Schedule 1 drug, and they have jurisdiction over interstate commerce. They’re well within their rights to bust you if you load up your car with cannabis and take a road trip from Vegas to L.A.
- You also shouldn’t board an airplane while in possession of marijuana, even if you’re taking an intrastate flight, like from Las Vegas to Reno. Even though you’re not technically leaving Nevada, you’ll have to pass through a TSA security checkpoint before you board. The TSA is a federal agency, and if they find marijuana on you while you’re being processed, you could wind up in serious trouble.
(7) Firearms
Speaking of winding up in serious trouble, if you’re a gun enthusiast who is equally enthusiastic about cannabis, tread carefully. I’ve written about gun possession and marijuana laws in the past, but to recap:
- It’s against federal law to be in possession of a gun while also possessing an illegal drug, such as marijuana.
- Nevada law says that you can possess both firearms and marijuana, but you cannot be under the influence of marijuana while operating a firearm.
(8) Enjoy Yourselves!
Whew! We know that was a lot to digest, but we hope that our Las Vegas Recreational Marijuana Survival Guide has given you the information you need to make smart and well-informed choices this new year. Have fun and enjoy your new-found freedom, but enjoy it responsibly!
If you have any more questions about Las Vegas recreational marijuana use, or you’re interested in learning more about how to obtain a medical marijuana card, feel free to give us a shout.
Happy New Year!