Entertainment hosts in Las Vegas are noticing a significant decrease in Gen Z (those born between 1997-2012) drinking alcohol. Paired with an overall increase in cannabis use by younger consumers, this shift could lead to great success for consumption lounges.

Las Vegas-based promoter of Pulsar Presents, Patrick Trout, has 20 years of experience promoting local music. Trout recently spoke with Las Vegas Weekly about the trend of Gen Z drinking less alcohol. “It’s something I’ve observed since the shutdown ended, but especially in the last year,” Trout said. “I’ve seen a dramatic increase in people not drinking at shows or drinking non-alcoholic stuff, but then simultaneously also wanting to smoke more. We are really seeing a generational, cultural shift.”

Trout’s observation is also reflected in a 2023 Billboard article, which cited a shift in alcohol consumption when businesses reopened after the pandemic. One Tucson, Arizona-based club manager noted that especially with shows that catered to Gen Z, alcohol sales dropped by 25%. Some researchers believe that this is partially because people pre-game, or start drinking alcohol prior to their arrival at a bar or entertainment venue, which is also a way to save money on a night out. Venue owners have attempted to switch their strategies to appeal to Gen Z attendees, such as expanding their non-alcohol options. In 2019, Global Market projected that the non-alcoholic industry could reach a value of $30 billion by next year.

Psychiatrist Akhil Anand, MD, told Cleveland Clinic that an increase in mental health awareness deters Gen Z from imbibing. “Alcohol is a depressant and never the answer to a bad day,” Anand said. “Gen Z seems to understand that concept and they’ve moved in a different direction.”

A New Frontier Data report from 2022 shows that 69% of people between 18-24 prefer cannabis over alcohol, while the same preference is seen with 70% of those 25-34, 68% of 35-44 year olds, 55% of people 45-54, 52% of 55-64, and 44% of those 65-74.

Christopher LaPorte, Vegas-based manager of Reset, a cannabis hospitality group, told Las Vegas Weekly that cannabis is becoming highly preferred over alcohol. “Everyone has the pot brownie story that was horrible. But everyone also has a lot more of ‘Oh my god, that one night with tequila,’” said LaPorte. “People are more educated now because we are out of the closet. More people know about cannabis. More cool people are very open about their cannabis-smoking habits.”

Nevada’s first consumption lounge, Smoke and Mirrors, which is owned by Thrive Cannabis, opened in late February. LaPorte helped design the consumption lounge, which made him think of listening cafes in Japan and New York, some of which only offer non-alcoholic drink menus. “There was this buzz, I would say three years ago, about this new culture of non-alcoholic spirits, and we saw that there were bars actually dedicated to that. It wasn’t just an Alcoholics Anonymous kind of center. We [thought] this might be something,” said LaPorte. “We saw a lot of products like Lyre’s and Seedlip … they were starting to percolate. And, again, it was like, how can we tie this into a cannabis lounge?’”

That thought culminated into Smoke and Mirrors’ non-alcoholic, THC-infused drinks, which LaPorte described as a way to “attract another market into the cannabis space.”

Las Vegas Weekly was given a tour of Planet 13’s new cannabis lounge, led by Frankie Anobile, who has had an extended career as a DJ and developing Vegas nightlife entertainment, but is now Planet 13’s entertainment director. While he explained that he doesn’t expect “bong service” to replace “bottle service,” he stated that offering both services is the best way to go.

Planet 13’s consumption lounge, Dazed!, opened on April 5, but the company is also planning on building a three-story, 60,000 square-foot nightclub that only serves alcohol sometime in 2025.

While Nevada state law prevents cannabis businesses from selling alcohol, and vice versa, Planet 13’s nightclub plan would allow club goers to walk next door to the club after the consumption lounge closes. “You can stay all night drinking for hours; you can’t stay all night smoking. It’s a totally different culture, from what they want musically to what their stay time is,” said Anobile. “A lot of these people don’t usually like to leave their house. They’re not the ones who want to spend an hour getting ready to go out there and be seen like they’re doing an Instagram post.”

Trout added that he’s excited to see how consumption lounges will alter the music scene. “One thing I’m really interested to see with the pot lounges that decide to utilize live music is seeing what the spread is, what genres they go after,” Trout said. “There’s some sub genres of metal like doom and stoner rock and desert rock where I think it would absolutely appeal to them to have a place like that where you can smoke and watch music.”

According to the Nevada Independent, there are 38 more cannabis consumption lounge license holders currently working on their businesses at various stages.

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Jason Harris founded Jerome Baker Designs Inc. (JBD) in Eugene, Oregon, in 1991. As a dyed-in-the-wool deadhead with THC pumping through his veins, he chose Jerry Garcia’s first name, Jerome, and a last name, Baker, to denote “baked” as his pseudonym, fearing repercussions from cops.

Through the years, he elevated the form of functional glass art, incorporating innovations along the way, such as fuming glass with fine silver to create a mirror effect and manipulating blown glass into complex art. The JBD seal became a symbol of quality. But, despite his efforts to stay off the radar of police, he caught the attention of the federal government.

“I was arrested for manufacturing drug paraphernalia in 2003,” Harris says, referring to Operation Pipe Dreams, a George W. Bush administration-era DEA hunt that also involved Tommy Chong and 54 other defendants.

Pipe sellers who never touched the plant initially faced drug paraphernalia trafficking charges, and the feds pinned most of it on Chong. Scarred from that trauma, Harris laid low, first moving from Oregon to Maui, Hawaii, to make non-functional glass art for a while, and later New York.

“I kind of went underground for a while, and we were based in New York on Long Island,” he says. “We had a warehouse out there that we functioned out of—a small, nickel-and-dime business. When recreational cannabis happens, we sort of come out of the closet. And when I saw the money and energy and everything going on in the Las Vegas market, I called that home base.”

After seeing Colorado and Washington approve adult-use pot and learning that recreational cannabis legalization was possible, Harris gained confidence and re-launched Jerome Baker Designs in 2012, re-focusing on high-end art. Jerome Baker established the Las Vegas Dream Factory at its headquarters in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Dream Factory

Located downtown in the Arts District, a few blocks from Fremont Street, the Dream Factory is a place where people can truly appreciate the sheer amount of hours it takes an artist to make a piece. After all, JBD was behind achievements like “Bongzilla,” the world’s largest bong in 2018, and is the brand responsible for custom bongs made for celebrities such as George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, B-Real, Xzibit, 311, Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, Tool, Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down), People Under The Stairs, and Limp Bizkit.

Las Vegas is a prime place to attract people from all parts of the world, so Harris’s Dream Factory adapts to these specific needs.

“We get people that come in on pilgrimages from different places on the West Coast, and some are driving very far,” Harris says. “And they come for birthdays, weddings, different stuff like that. We’ve done a number of weddings in our facility, a number of birthdays, parties for some brands, they’ve been taken to the factory, and we get a percent of our clients coming in who are tourists.”

Teamwork makes the dream work, and Operations Manager Jennifer Krause is a big factor in the success of the Dream Factory.

“I basically handle everything from A-Z—you name it—accounts payable, accounts receivable, shipping, and [the operations] of the Dream Factory every day,” says Krause.

Krause says that the Dream Factory is currently showcasing glass art by Omar Rosales, Dina Kalahar, aka “Sol Fire Glass,” Donnie Alves, aka “Mente 45K,” and Allan Clement, aka “Cowboy.”

“And let’s not forget Jason Harris, known as Jerome Baker!” Krause laughs. “Within the last five years, it’s just completely blown up, and it’s pretty much one of the most prominent locations that people would want to visit. It’s where the artist all-stars are at. We’re right in the heart of the arts district.”

Krause explains how many people wander in, thinking it’s a basic smoke shop selling papers and cheap pipes, but what they’re offering is high-quality art that fetches top dollar. It’s a surprise “to the commoner wanting to walk away with a piece, and then they find out what we’re offering and what we’re shipping around the country,” Krause says.

Smoking Lounges & Cannabis Trade Shows

Both the state of Nevada and the city of Las Vegas have slowly rolled out consumption lounge regulations, though it’s taken years to materialize. NuWu’s Tasting Room opened in 2019, then rebranded as Sky High Lounge, opening in July 2023, and the city’s first non-tribal consumption lounges are scheduled to open by early 2024. (NuWu could open earlier because the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, a sovereign jurisdiction, owns its land.)

Many cannabis consumption lounges, such as ones in California, let patrons rent bongs or pipes to consume weed. A big factor is that tourists—not locals who can smoke at home cheaper—are going to them as smoking stealthily in a hotel gets tiring. Harris says consumption lounges are key to the full experience of legal weed.

“I think that’s absolutely essential,” Harris says. “People have different ways to smoke and consume cannabis. So, by being able to get everyone to have experience and make a lasting memory. I mean, look, when we were kids, we went to Amsterdam, leaving certain memories of certain coffeeshops in my life. Being able to rent the bongs and clean the bongs with a proper scrub, that was fun and part of the ritual.”

Harris explains how bongs slowly came out of the closet through the years, including how Vegas events have changed.

“We’ve been going to Las Vegas for so many years. It’s got so many trade shows. We were at the first CHAMPS trade show ever. And we bought the most booths—eight—and mostly we closed them all in so nobody could see our stuff inside,” Harris says, explaining how much things have changed since 1999. “Lo and behold, CHAMPS is this mega show everybody wants to attend.”

Krause explained that MJBizCon is even bigger than CHAMPS, and Las Vegas gets pretty busy and wild during those times.

Elevating Functional Glass Art

Harris is the protégé of legendary glass artist Bob Snodgrass and apprenticed for Hans-Joachim Ittig of Wertheimer Glaskunst, a seventh-generation glassblower based in Wertheim, Germany. He also learned or apprenticed under Cesare Toffolo, Dick Marquis, Robert Mickelson, Karen Willinbrink, and Charles Lowrie.

“I’ve always respected artists that have come before me and paved the way in what I consider now a Pop Art genre,” Harris says. “That’s something that I’ve always dreamt about, being in art school. I’m a graduate of the University of Oregon. I’ve always been interested in art, art history, and what goes on in that space. And I feel honored and privileged to be a part of it now through the bongs. I never really thought that I could get there.”

The Dream Factory is an excellent stop in Las Vegas that holds a lot of history for glass art.

“Cannabis has unfolded recreationally and become more and more mainstream,” says Harris. “And it’s allowed us to sell expensive pieces, which gives us time to put into the artwork. All that is kind of a good, perfect storm. The Dream Factory itself, in terms of visiting tourists, is a great destination right near Fremont Street.”

This article was originally published in the March 2024 issue of High Times Magazine.

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Over the past few months, the Nevada Cannabis Control Board has approved a handful of cannabis consumption lounge licenses. On Feb. 15, the CCB announced that Thrive Cannabis Marketplace’s lounge, called Smoke and Mirrors, is the first to receive its final license in Nevada.

“We’ve marked a lot of ‘firsts’ in Nevada and we’re honored to yet again be at the forefront of Nevada’s cannabis industry by officially launching the first regulated cannabis lounge in the state,” said Thrive Cannabis Marketplace CEO and managing partner, Mitch Britten. “With Smoke and Mirrors, we have created an unparalleled destination for cannabis enthusiasts to enjoy a diverse range of premium products in a really engaging atmosphere.”

The lounge will offer both a “curated selection of premium cannabis products” as well as infused beverages, although alcohol will not be available as according to Nevada state law.

The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) also released a statement about Thrive, sharing that it “is the first cannabis consumption lounge inspected by Board agents to ensure the facility is adhering to state regulations.” Thrive first received its conditional license in June 2023, and in September, it received a Special Use Permit from the Clark County Zoning Commission. “We are thrilled to be among the first in the state to do so,” Britten said at the time. “This is a huge milestone for us and we can’t wait to finish this incredible new offering in the Vegas valley.” As of Feb. 13, the lounge inspection was completed, which allowed Thrive to receive its final state license for operation.

The CCB also shared that there are a total of 19 lounges that have been approved for a conditional license so far (14 attached to dispensaries and five that are independently located). Smoke and Mirrors will operate in what used to be a strip club, located west of the Strip at 2975 S. Sammy Davis Drive. If all goes according to plan, Smoke and Mirrors will open by the end of the month.

Last month, former CCB executive director Tyler Klimas appeared on Episode 77 of the Weed Wonks podcast. Klimas spoke about the long wait to get consumption lounges rolling, and how more are expected to open in the near future. “It’s an unknown market. There is no blueprint anywhere,” Klimas said. “We see many business plans and projections, but nobody really knows until we open it up. We don’t know how successful it’s going to be, which is very exciting.”

The process has taken much longer than anticipated, but Klimas explained that there are a lot of moving parts connected to this new business opportunity. “Obviously when you’re talking about social consumption, you’ve got local governments playing a huge role in that. You’ve got law enforcement and the anxieties that law enforcement has, deservedly so, around social consumption.”

Planet 13 is the only other consumption lounge conditional license holder that has publicly announced a potential opening date, but so far has not received its final state license for that to occur. It initially announced the renderings for its lounge in November 2023, which is supposed to include VIP booths, bong chandeliers, and cannabis cocktails. We’re thrilled to share our exciting plans for our trailblazing cannabis consumption lounge. From day one, our goal has been to out-Vegas-Vegas, and this is another big step in that direction. It’s an extraordinary space for cannabis novices, connoisseurs, tourists and locals to enjoy cannabis while experiencing world-class entertainment,” said Larry Scheffler, Co-CEO of Planet 13. “One of the main goals for this year was to increase the utilization of the SuperStore to drive more traffic, and revenue while improving cost structure and operating margins. We are executing on that goal while continuing to define Planet 13 as a differentiated retail brand with national recognition.”

The NuWu Dispensary, located on Las Vegas Paiute Tribe land north of downtown Las Vegas, is technically the state’s first operating consumption lounge, which opened in 2019.

The first three conditional licenses were granted to Planet 13, Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, and SoL Cannabis in June 2023. In July, LA Lounge LLC was the first independently located consumption lounge to receive a license, followed by three more licenses grants in August for Deep Roots Harvest, Global Harmony, and KV Group. In October, additional licenses were granted to Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., Green Thumb Industries, Inc., Desert Evolution, LLC, Higher* Archy, LLC, NevadaPure, LLC, and TGIG, LLC. As of October, there were 13 total number of conditional license holders, which was followed by six more.

New changes to Nevada’s cannabis law went into effect on Jan. 1, which includes an increase to the possession limit. Previously consumers were limited to possessing just one ounce, and now they can carry up to 2.5 ounces. Also, now adult-use cannabis stores can sell to medical cannabis patients, as no new medical cannabis dispensary licenses will be approved (except for regions where adult-use cannabis has been banned). “That’s one of the big changes, (but) I think there are a bunch of things in the bill that are really designed to be business-friendly and moving our cannabis industry into the next phase,” said Sen. Dallas Harris, a sponsor of the bill that led to the changes.

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Sin City’s top-rated shops on Leafly.

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Where to re-up, puff tough and have stoner fun in Sin City; from a local expert.

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With the debut of The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada and the growing updates for entertainment and tourism, officials are slowly moving forward with consumption lounge license approval. On July 25, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) approved the state’s first conditional license for a stand-alone cannabis consumption lounge.

The first winning license belongs to LA Lounge LLC, which is the first independent company that’s not connected to a dispensary. According to KTNV Las Vegas, the owners don’t have a location picked out yet, but once they do it will need to be inspected by the CCB before beginning operation. Once a business receives a license, they have one year to get things up and running.

The first round of consumption lounge licenses were approved in June, which included Planet 13 and Thrive Cannabis Marketplace in Clark County, and The Venue at SoL Cannabis in Washoe County. These businesses could see their consumption lounges open up by the end of 2023, if they receive final approval from the CCB. “We get asked about it daily by most customers,” said David Farris, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Planet 13.

Recently, CCB Executive Director Tyler Klimas confirmed that things are progressing well. “It sounds like we will likely see some consumption lounges open by the end of the year, maybe some as soon as October,” Klimas said, according to KTNV Las Vegas. At the most recent meeting, the CCB also adopted new regulations for air ventilation requirements that are supposed to make it easier for applicants to comply with.

Another prospective license owner, Chandler Cooks, attended the July 25 meeting. He told KTNV Las Vegas that he plans to open a lounge called Moulin Noir in downtown Las Vegas. “We already submitted everything that is required of us, so we are hoping to be at the next CCB meeting and get the conditional license,” Cooks said. “Ideally, we would like to be open by January. We want to beat the curve for Super Bowl.” The next CCB meeting will be held on August 22 for more potential licenses to be granted. 

Consumption lounges were approved in June 2022. Prior to that, visitors and residents could only consume cannabis within a private residence. Forty conditional licenses were approved last fall. “We will do sit down interviews and make sure we understand their ownership structure and their business plan and then they will come in front of the board and the board will determine them suitable or not to proceed to perfecting their license,” Klimas said at the time. 

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported in January that 38.8 million people visited Las Vegas in 2022. While the state of Nevada stands to benefit greatly from its consumption lounges, other states have also been progressing with public consumption locations as well.

In California, consumption lounges are in full swing in places like San Francisco, which has a rich history with lounges during its early medical cannabis era. Alaska adopted early rules for consumption lounges in 2018, and the first one opened in 2021. Colorado started accepting license applications back in 2021, and so far there are a few private lounges that are currently available. 

Other states such as Massachusetts have approved social consumption programs but have not yet finalized plans. Most recently in June and July, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) held listening sessions for social consumption “to hear from stakeholders prior to drafting new policies. After draft regulations are prepared and published, there will be notice of a formal public comment period as an opportunity to provide additional feedback.”

In May, Massachusetts Gaming Commissioner Bruce Stebbins explained that the state’s pilot program would be “burdensome and expensive” and the CCC scrapped it in favor of a more streamlined process.

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Visitors to Las Vegas will soon have places to legally smoke weed as Nevada regulators have issued the state’s first three conditional licenses for cannabis consumption lounges. The Nevada Cannabis Control Board (CCB) issued two licenses for businesses in the Las Vegas Valley, while the remaining permit was issued for a lounge to be located in Washoe County in the northwestern corner of Nevada.

Before they can invite guests in to light up, the three Nevada businesses must first receive local approval and undergo a final inspection by board agents with the CCB. But with their conditional licenses in hand after approval by the board at a meeting on June 20, the lounges can finish planning and constructing their sites and prepare for opening.

“Receiving this confirmation from the state allows us to move on to the final design and buildout of our consumption lounge,” said Larry Scheffler, co-CEO of Planet 13, a dispensary complex near the Las Vegas Strip that received one of two licenses issued in Clark County. “The consumption lounge will be a huge step to unlocking the full potential of the SuperStore as a cannabis destination. It will give customers the ability to try products prior to buying, watch live entertainment, and enjoy food and drink in a social setting that matches Planet 13’s incredible experiential design standard.”

Planet 13 vice president of sales and marketing David Farris said that the company is still in the planning and construction phase for its lounge. The company had originally considered a restaurant concept for its lounge, but at the CCB meeting, Planet 13 general counsel Leighton Koehler told the board that the company is considering a range of ideas from a “modest” tasting room to a more expansive nightclub experience. 

“It’s a strict business, pencil out the math (decision)—we’re still looking at that and trying to decide how much it costs to implement,” Koehler said during the meeting.

Representatives of the vertically integrated cannabis firm said that they plan to submit their plans to Clark County in the coming weeks for a review by county officials that could take several months. Neither Planet 13 nor Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, the second business to receive a cannabis consumption lounge in Clark County, have set an expected opening date. Thrive hopes to open its lounge on Sammy Davis Jr. Boulevard in time for the MJ Biz Con cannabis industry trade show in late November.

Chris LaPorte, managing partner of Reset, a cannabis consultant firm representing Thrive, said the company’s approximately 3,000 square-foot lounge venue Smoke and Mirrors would be a place for “cannacurious” tourists to be introduced to different marijuana products without visiting a dispensary.

“It’s just a vibe,” LaPorte said. “It’s like any other Las Vegas nightlife hospitality, but instead of a liquor bar, it’s cannabis as social lubricant.”

Edward Alexander, the owner of SoL Cannabis in Washoe County, said that he envisioned his business as a gathering site for the community, but many patrons had questioned why they were not allowed to consume the products they had just purchased at the dispensary.

“Every weekend during the summer, we do music at our facility,” Alexander said during Tuesday’s CCB meeting, as quoted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And every weekend, the old grouchy, tattooed hippie is out there saying, ‘I know you’re at Disneyland, (but) you can’t ride the rides.’”

At its June 20 meeting, the CCB also amended the air quality regulations for cannabis consumption lounges by reducing the required number of air exchanges per hour in smoking areas from 30 to 20 exchanges per hour and from 20 to six exchanges per hour in non-smoking areas. The change will “allow for greater flexibility in air ventilation requirements for cannabis consumption lounges further reducing barriers of entry for all potential licensees including social equity applicants,” according to the board. Officials made the change after applicants for the lounge licenses said that building an air conditioning system to meet the stricter requirements is too expensive.

“If you’re moving air every minute or two minutes, it’s a massive power consumption challenge,” said LaPorte.

Late last year, the CCB conducted a digital drawing to select 40 businesses for prospective cannabis consumption lounge licenses “via a random number selector to determine the issuance of independent cannabis consumption lounge licenses for non-social equity applicants and social equity applicants,” according to a statement from the agency. Prospective license holders must submit all required documents for a suitability investigation by CCB board agents in order to receive a conditional license.

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In a city that’s always on, Las Vegas dispensaries are no exception to the rule. These adult-use cannabis shops offer a unique twist on the classic Vegas experience, providing locals and tourists with a chance to unwind and relax in a brand new way. If you visit Las Vegas today, you’ll notice that many dispensaries […]

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A pair of Democratic state senators in Nevada introduced a bill last week to allow for research into psilocybin, or psychedelic mushrooms, as well as MDMA, drawing inspiration from states like Oregon and Colorado where such substances have been legalized.

The proposal, per the measure’s official legislative summary, would establish “procedures for a research facility to obtain the approval of the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct certain studies involving certain controlled substances; decriminalizing certain conduct by persons who are 18 years of age or older involving psilocybin and MDMA if conducted in connection with and within the scope of an approved study; decriminalizing certain conduct by persons who are 18 years of age or older involving 4 ounces or less of fungi that produces psilocybin or psilocin; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.”

In more plain English, per the Las Vegas Sun, it would “decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms and MDMA for the purpose of studying their effects on an array of behavioral health disorders” and “allow the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services to begin accepting applications from research institutions to use the drugs to treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and addiction.”

The bill was introduced by Democratic state Sens. Rochelle Nguyen and Fabian Donate, both of whom represent Las Vegas. 

The bill also has two co-sponsors in the state House of Representatives: Max Carter and Elaine Marzola, also both Democrats. 

Las Vegas Weekly reported last fall that Nguyen had “filed a draft request for the 2023 Legislative Session for a bill that ‘revises provisions governing controlled substances’ and deals with matters of decriminalization, regulation and research on psychedelics,” and she said at the time “that it could potentially help with the growing mental health crisis.”

Psychedelics like mushrooms and MDMA have emerged as a new focal point for drug reform advocates, with scientists and medical professionals increasingly drawn to their potential therapeutic benefits. 

Las Vegas Weekly reported that Nguyen specifically highlighted the example of Oregon, which legalized psilocybin in 2020. 

Late last year, the Oregon Health Authority finalized rules for the new psilocybin law, with special consideration for access, affordability, and public safety.

“The final rules on duration of administrative sessions have been revised to create a new tier for subperceptual doses. These doses are defined as products containing less than 2.5 mg of psilocybin analyte. After a client’s initial session, the minimum duration for a subperceptual dose of 2.5 mg of psilocybin analyte or less is 30 minutes,” the Oregon Health Authority said at the time.

Last year, voters in Colorado approved a measure legalizing psilocybin. 

That might have sparked a trend in the mountain west region. In addition to last week’s proposal in Nevada, activists in Utah have likewise mounted an effort to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for medical purposes. 

Luz Escamilla, the Democratic leader in the Utah state senate, introduced a bill last month that would allow individuals aged 21 and older with qualifying conditions such as depression or anxiety access to a psilocybin-assisted treatment directly from a psilocybin therapy provider. 

“Cannabis has given us a really good opportunity to understand that we can use other natural things … to help us. Now, we have to be careful, and I think we have really good safeguards,” Escamilla said.

“This is not a free-for-all,” Escamilla added. “This is not for everyone, but if it’s for someone that is desperate (for help) with their anxiety, depression and PTSD—that’s pushing many, unfortunately, to suicide, I want them to have access in a way that’s safe, that we can regulate.”

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Cannabis advocates and business owners in Las Vegas are calling on city leaders to ease distance requirements between weed businesses, saying the move would foster the development of a cannabis district similar to Amsterdam. At a meeting of the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday, entrepreneurs also called for a reduction in the fees for cannabis business licenses, arguing that the high costs are an unreasonable “roadblock” to starting a new enterprise.

The city council was considering a proposed ordinance to regulate cannabis consumption lounges, which are businesses that offer cannabis for patrons to purchase and consume on the premises. In September, the council cleared the way for cannabis lounges to open in Las Vegas with a 5-1 vote against a motion that would have prevented the businesses from opening in the city.

At Wednesday’s meeting, several cannabis industry advocates and business leaders addressed the council, telling members that regulations that require licensed cannabis businesses to be located at least 1,000 feet away from each other make it difficult for entrepreneurs to secure a compliant property.

“It is absolutely unreasonable to make somebody walk more than three football fields to the next bar, restaurant, shops or casinos,” Tina Ulman, president and founder of the Chamber of Cannabis, said at the city council meeting on Wednesday. “Why would we ever want them to do that for consumption venues?”

Five licensed cannabis dispensaries in Las Vegas have plans to open cannabis consumption lounges as part of their businesses. Another 10 businesses are expected to operate consumption lounges independent of a dispensary, including seven social equity applicants who were negatively impacted by marijuana prohibition prior to the legalization of cannabis in Nevada in 2016.

The proposed ordinance allows the city to waive the distance requirement between consumption lounges, although not in some parts of the city including the Symphony Park District, the Las Vegas Medical District or the casino-resort district.

Dani Baranowski, vice president of the industry group Chamber of Cannabis, said that the distance requirement forces applicants to “find expensive, out of the way, and non-profitable locations that will be hard pressed to get business.”

Business leaders told the city council that if the distance requirements are eliminated or relaxed, the downtown Arts District could become a “New Amsterdam,” serving as a destination for cannabis tourism that could draw visitors from around the world. They also noted that allowing consumption lounges and other cannabis businesses to locate closer together would encourage walking and eliminate the temptation to drive while high, benefitting public safety.

“The proposed measures have established unnecessary and harmful distance restrictions between lounges and excessively high licensing fees compared to other businesses,” said Chandler Cooks, who has been awarded a provisional social equity consumption lounge license.

Business Leaders Call For Lower Licensing Fees in Las Vegas

Other business owners agreed with Cooks and called for a reduction in license fees for cannabis consumption lounges. The proposed ordinance includes a one-time business license fee of $10,000, with social equity applicants paying a reduced fee of $2,500. Lounges will also be required to pay additional semiannual license fees based on their earnings.

“Adding these high fees will only add to the insane amount of capital they have to raise” to start their businesses, said Ulman.

Baranowski said that the high licensing fees could put up “further roadblocks” to success and discourage applicants who are having trouble raising the capital needed to get their businesses up and running. Paul Murad, president of Metroplex Group, a real estate company that owns businesses in the Arts District, said that he is looking forward to working with the city council on a number of issues relevant to cannabis businesses, including reducing the costs of business licenses.

“We’re asking for the licensing fees and ongoing license fees to be significantly reduced,” said Murad. “So they’re on par with other businesses … They need to be at the same level, not excessive just because they happen to be cannabis.”

After hearing from the business leaders, the city council postponed a vote on the proposed cannabis consumption lounge ordinance and rescheduled the agenda item for its meeting on March 1. Business leaders said they hoped to use the next two weeks to work with the city council to draft an ordinance that Murad said could set up Las Vegas as “a role model for other municipalities to follow.”

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