Questions abound after legalization of recreational marijuana in Nevada
Even though recreational marijuana is now legal in Nevada, it doesn’t seem legal to some locals.
During a public educational meeting on pot recently hosted by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Spring Valley area substation, a man in the audience repeatedly asked questions before making a final request.
“Do you have a pamphlet?” the man asked, hoping to get a handy printout of all the new recreational marijuana regulations.
An officer leading the meeting told the man no but suggested going online, finding the full text of the new law and printing it at home.
“I’d like an official police pamphlet,” the man said (to several laughs).
The meeting was brief, about 30 minutes long. The purpose? To be as straightforward as possible about pot.
One of the big questions was: If recreational marijuana is legal, but there are no dispensaries, where does one get weed?
The answer, police said, is at home. You can legally grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use and up to 12 per household until recreational dispensaries set up shop, which Metro said could happen as early as March. After that, you can’t technically grow pot within 25 miles of a dispensary.
“I think it’s very fascist the way it sounds,” one man interjected. “You can’t grow if you’re within 25 miles of the store, gotta get it from the store. … A law designed by the businesses themselves is the way it sounds to me.”
But that rule, officers told the man during the meeting, isn’t one Metro plans to enforce strictly. It instead exists as an opportunity for police to go after black market operations.
“No one’s going to worry about you having your eight plants or your 10 plants, even if you’re within that 25 miles,” one of the police speakers said.
Public consumption remains illegal, but “we’re not saying you can’t have it outside of your house,” another officer said.
Possession is legal for up to 1 ounce of smokable marijuana or 1/8 ounce of concentrated marijuana (in oils and edibles).
An ounce of weed is about 40 joints. “If you like it a little bit stronger — you know, not the light beer but the regular,” an officer said, then an ounce could be as little as 28 joints.
Next, a slideshow displayed several photos of marijuana paraphernalia — basically, a bunch of bongs and pipes — to reassure everyone that, yes, these are all legal, too.
The longest part of the meeting involved a few scenarios.
Is smoking in a moving car legal? No.
Is smoking in a parked car legal? If you’re in your driveway or a privately owned lot (with permission), yes. But if you’re parked on the street, no.
What about smoking outside, but at home? Yes, be it a porch, patio, balcony or yard.
Even if that outside space is next to a neighborhood playground or park? Yes.
The point was to make sure everyone was on the same page.
“We need to get the education out there,” an officer said.
Vegas Vice runs every other Saturday. Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @rachelacrosby on Twitter.
