On July 1, 2017, Nevada became the eighth state to legally allow recreational use of marijuana. This means that anyone over the age of 21 is allowed to buy up to one ounce of weed or one-eighth for marijuana concentrates.
With its one year anniversary just passing, it has brought out an open and growing community of cannabis users.
Group activities such as hiring cannabis chefs, CBD and yoga, smoking and painting, etc. are popping up for users to come together and enjoy the flower while participating in social events. Tours of dispensaries and grow houses are available to interested goers as well.
Las Vegas Legalization
Legalization has revamped the entire tourism industry for Las Vegas, a place that was already known to satisfy all vices. Marijuana has been embraced with open arms in this city and the sales are there to prove it. In just the first four months, the cannabis industry made $126 million in sales and $19 million in tax revenue. Legalization of recreational marijuana is here to stay!
After watching a few states run blindly with their legalization, Nevada has taken their time and a lot of precaution in 
order to not make the same mistakes. They want to set a leading example of what legal cannabis consumption for recreational use can look like. Las Vegas has been regulating liquor, gambling, partying, and more far better and longer than any city in the world - cannabis is no different.
Nevada, as the eighth legal state, has made it one year with nearly any bumps in the road and is still a flourishing industry for the state. Before legalization of recreational marijuana, Nevada already allowed medicinal marijuana, with 60 dispensaries in Las Vegas. They were the first allowed to sell marijuana recreationally in a program called the ‘early start’, copying the same program implemented from Oregon. This was to project any issues that dispensary owners would face, and raise an estimated $60-$70 million in tax revenue as their ‘test run’.
With a start of 32 dispensaries for recreational use on July 1, 2017, Vegas is now booming with 62 dispensaries in Nevada - 45 in Las Vegas, and 262 business recreational marijuana-related. According to Las Vegas Sun, legal marijuana has benefitted Nevada by increasing tax revenue, more variety in cannabis products, over 7,000 jobs have been given, and a boost in real estate. After only 1 year, Investors are starting to profit from the marijuana establishments that they’ve backed such as testing labs, production, and dispensaries. It is easier for people with health conditions to have access to professional-grade CBD oils that are tested.
The Cannabis Industry in Vegas
Nevada has changed the conversation from that of being negative to being positive on the cannabis industry. Cannabis users are willing to pay for it legally over that of the streets because its legitimacy, and the state is loving their immense tax revenues. With illegal cultivating, selling, and use of marijuana, the flower can be easily laced or mixed, passed down through illegal dealers, and the strain is untraceable back to the source. Now, cannabis can be grown, tested, and traced back to its origin with all that information printed on the label – ensuring a user’s experience. "For a long time, we were all felons and we were afraid to let anybody know we liked marijuana," Segerblom said on Nevada Public Radio, "All of the sudden you can stand up openly and wave and say, 'It's legal, I can have an ounce, I can walk it around, I can put it in my car, I can do anything I want to do." With legalization, closet smokers are now opening up to their friends, family, and coworkers and receiving back a sense of acceptance in their communities.
Founder and CEO of DaVinci Vaporizer, Cortney Smith says, “The conversation has grown in the direction towards acceptance. It is now ‘OK’ to use cannabis. The atmosphere around marijuana can be that of knowledge and intellect. And curiosity is fostering for people who don’t use or only knew negative aspects of cannabis.” There are more first-time users than ever before willing to try and learn about the flower. Dispensaries have added a sense of ‘chicness’ to marijuana with their packaging and aesthetic - to a point where can be trendy and fashionable.
Las Vegas’ cannabis industry doesn’t fall short as anything less than extravagant. Just like the casinos and hotels on the strip, the dispensaries are thorough with details and are there for your needs. They cater to all types of users, and even new ways of experiencing cannabis. All strains are tested, so there is precise information given. The people working in the dispensaries are knowledgeable on all the flower and are warm and welcoming to your dispensary experience. Since cannabis is still federally illegal, you’ll need to be very careful how you go about it. Sales are only made in cash at dispensaries and you have to present your ID before going in. You can only smoke on private property (not including hotels) and non-public spaces such as parks, bars, restaurants, malls, etc.
Hurdles To Overcome
The biggest struggle Las Vegas faces with the marijuana industry is its clash with the gaming industry. The Gaming Commission stated, “The prohibition of delivery and consumption of marijuana within the Las Vegas Boulevard Gaming Corridor, H1 Zones, and on the premises of any restricted or non-restricted gaming licensee to comply with the Nevada Gaming Commission and Board’s prohibition of any consumption and possession of marijuana on gaming properties.” With the gaming industry enforcing such restrictive laws, casinos and hotels are only left with the option to ban marijuana/ any drug use on their grounds. Owners don’t want to risk losing their gaming licenses.
Vegas, being a city of tourism, is prohibiting many tourists from actually using cannabis since they have no private property to use on. Canna-tourism is a real thing now for Vegas, and it is an issue that will be addressed and dealt with. As for now, there are cannabis-friendly Airbnb’s and ‘Bud & Breakfasts’ to stay in if you want to be that precautious or it is an important attribute to your stay. Vegas connoisseurs are making strides to better the experience for everyone, and this means canna-lounges.
A strong push for cannabis lounges are in the midst, it’s just a matter of which legal state will figure out how to achieve it first. It’s an exciting time for cannabis industry. All in all, looking back, Las Vegas has had a celebrated first year of legal recreational marijuana usage and for many more years to come.
The ranked top 10 dispensaries in Las Vegas:
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Essence Vegas – West
5765 W. Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV -
Essence Vegas – Henderson
4300 E Sunset Rd. Suite A3 Henderson, NV -
The Source – Henderson
9480 S. Eastern Blvd Suite 185 Las Vegas, NV -
Jardín
2900 East Desert Inn Road suite 102 Las Vegas, NV -
The Source – Las Vegas
2550 S Rainbow Blvd Las Vegas, NV -
The Grove – Pahrump
1541 E. Basin Aveune, Pahrump, NV -
The Apothecarium – Las Vegas
7885 W Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV -
Euphoria Wellness
7780 S Jones Blvd Ste 105 Las Vegas, NV -
The Apothecary Shoppe – Las Vegas
4240 W. Flamingo Rd. #100 Las Vegas, NV -
The Grove – Las Vegas
4647 Swenson St Las Vegas, NV
This list is pretty much the best dispensaries to go to in Vegas.