The Las Vegas City Council could vote as early as Wednesday on regulations for the upcoming cannabis consumption lounges.
Business owners of 15 of the 40 provisional licenses issued by Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board applied to open locations within city limits.
The lounges will allow people to consume the drug for the first time since it was legalized in Nevada. Clark County — the only other jurisdiction in the valley that will allow such businesses — already approved its rules, and opened its application process.
North Las Vegas and Henderson opted out of the licensing process.
A timeline for when local licenses will be issued has not been shared, but officials and industry insiders expect the lounges to open later this year.
Five applicants planned to open lounges attached to Las Vegas dispensaries. Ten businesses would operate stand-alone, independent locations, seven of which are “social-equity” applicants, who were negatively affected by the criminal justice system before the drug was legalized.
License holders will have to pay a one-time $10,000 fee, with the exception of the social-equity applicants, who will have a $2,500 fee.
All lounges will have semiannual licensing fees depending on their earnings.
Under the rules, the lounges have to submit safety plans, including methods to keep children away from the locations. No one under the age of 21 will be allowed inside, and the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
The businesses must install 24/7…
