More than 100 people were in line at one Las Vegas-area dispensary Saturday morning as Nevada became the latest state in the U.S. with stores selling marijuana for recreational purposes.
Kristin Deneal got in line outside the pot shop at 5:45 a.m., after another store that opened at midnight closed before she could make a purchase. She brought a folding chair and sat by the door, striking up conversations with the security guard and others as the line continued to grow before doors opened at 9 a.m.
Deneal, a Las Vegas resident, said she is elated at being able to legally buy the drug that for decades she has had to buy through acquaintances. She said smoking marijuana helps her cope with health conditions while also working a stressful job at a bank.
“It looks like they have enough stuff for everyone, it’s just a question of getting through the door,” she said.
State senator makes first purchase
State Sen. Tick Segerblom, one of the main proponents of marijuana legalization in Nevada, made the first purchase at The Source dispensary at a strip mall. Deneal and others followed.
Recreational marijuana sales began shortly after midnight, just months after voters approved legalization in November, marking the fastest turnaround from the ballot box to retail sales in the country.
Hundreds of people lined up at Essence Cannabis Dispensary on the Las Vegas Strip. People were excited and well-behaved as a lone security guard looked on. A valet was available to park cars for customers.
A cheer erupted when the doors opened.
Those 21 and older with a valid ID can buy up to an ounce of pot. Tourists are expected to make nearly two of every three recreational pot purchases in Nevada, but people can only use the drug in a private home.
What is still illegal
It remains illegal to light up in public areas, including the Las Vegas Strip, casinos, bars, restaurants, parks, convention centers and concert halls — places frequently visited by tourists. Violators face a $600 fine.
And driving under the influence of marijuana is still illegal.
Despite the limits on where people can get high and restrictions on where the industry can advertise, dispensaries worked furiously to prepare for the launch. They stamped labels on pot products, stocked their shelves, added security and checkout stations, and announced specials.
Marijuana jobs
Desert Grown Farms hired about 60 additional employees. Workers in scrubs, hair nets and surgical masks put stickers on sealed jars this week as others checked on marijuana plants or carefully weighed buds.
“It would be a good problem to have if I couldn’t meet my demand,” said CEO Armen Yemenidjian, whose Desert Grown Farms owns the only dispensary that is selling recreational pot on the Las Vegas Strip, across the street from the Stratosphere hotel.
Nevada joins Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska in allowing adults to buy the drug that’s still banned by the federal government.
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