Indopedia All Things Marijuana
After Nevada voted to legalize recreational cannabis in November of 2016, state lawmakers wasted no time trying to implement the voter-approved system earlier than expected. Although a measure was proposed to allow marijuana sales by July 1, that effort has been thwarted by a recently filed legal complaint by the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada against the Department of Taxation.
This group of local liquor distributors have argued that the recreational cannabis bill gives liquor wholesalers exclusive rights to marijuana sales licenses over the first 18 months of sales. On Tuesday, Carson City district judge James Wilson rejected a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that representatives from both sides of the dispute should be heard in the court of law.
While the hearing is scheduled to take place on Monday, the complaint itself may ultimately delay the start of recreational marijuana sales across the state. Liquor distributors in Clark County are looking to be the first to participate in the distribution process, while the Department of Taxation is arguing that existing medical dispensaries should be allowed to sell recreational cannabis starting July…
