VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
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VEGAS INC TOP SHELF: An employee at Ganja Gourmet in Denver re-stocks high-grade medical marijuana in the store's retail space. Colorado voters approved medical use of marijuana in 2000. The law took effect in June 2001. MARIJUANA, From page 15 "The federal government had been demonstrating and recently made it abundantly clear that it will respect state marijuana laws when marijuana is being properly regulated," said Mason Tvert, director of communications at the Marijuana Policy Project. The Nevada law has strict guidelines for electronic verification of cardholders, inventory tracking, quality control, security and licensure. It also mandates a 2 percent sales tax on medical marijuana designed to offset the state's cost for administering and enforcing these regulations. "The Nevada law strikes one of the most reasonable balances I have seen between ensuring safe access for patients, creating a tightly regulated model that is not open to malfeasance and providing legitimate business and economic opportunities for business people," said Betty Aldworth, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. But those business opportunities aren't guaranteed. Even with the state constitutional 16 20131028_VI01_F.indd 16 " The Nevada law strikes one of the most reasonable balances I have seen between ensuring safe access for patients, creating a tightly regulated model that is not open to malfeasance and providing legitimate business and economic opportunities for business people." — BETTY ALDWORTH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION provision mandating access to medical marijuana, local governments are still debating what kind of zoning restrictions they'll place on dispensaries, grow houses, edibles kitchens and other medical marijuana establishments. "The first decision will be: Do we want these types of businesses in the city of Las Vegas?" said Las Vegas Councilman Stavros Anthony, who was a former vice narcotics captain with Metro Police. "If we do, where are they going to be located, how are they going to be handed out?" State regulators also have a chance to develop stricter rules. While most lobbyists, consultants and patients say the state has been open and responsive as it begins crafting state regulations, some are concerned that the industry could face so many regulations that investors might ultimately determine that they cannot make a profit here. MCT PHOTO "A lot of people see this as a cash cow," said Peter Krueger, president of the newly formed Nevada Medical Marijuana Association. "I'm not so sure if it's a cash cow when government gets through with it." Mayo-DeRiso said that well-crafted regulations and proper controls can only enhance the industry in the same way they bolstered Nevada's gaming industry. "We are the privileged license capital of the world," she said. "We know how to monitor privileged licenses, so we actually should be really good at this." Meanwhile, without regulations and zoning rules in place, nobody wants to talk about who's actually applying. Patients, lawyers, policy advocates, trade associations and consultants speak vaguely of "California investors" or "very high names in the city." "That's kind of a confidential thing at this point," Higgins said. "Many people are looking into this with an eye toward opening, but unfortunately, without the regulations being specific, many of the individuals and groups considering this are just waiting." | 28 October 2013 | 10/23/13 4:33:00 PM