Clark County Pot: Commissioners Say No To Marijuana Lounges (For Now, Anyway)

Marijuana may now be legal in Nevada but don't look for lounges to be opening in Clark County anytime soon. At least until December. The county commission decided Tuesday to out off for now the possibility of lounges opening here.

The move follows a legal opinion from lawyers for the state legislature that there's nothing in state law that would prohibit a lounge from opening. The ruling left it up to cities and counties to decide for themselves whether to allow the lounges.

With six of the commission's seven members indicating they wanted the issue studied further before a decision is made, there was no need for a formal vote on the issue. (For more information on this and other Las Vegas stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Several commissioners expressed concern that approving lounges would invite federal scrutiny because of the possibility of black market marijuana and that the scrutiny could be bad for the gaming industry.

Commissioners say they are taking a close look at how Denver - which is in a similar spot - handles the issue of lounges. Some members of the commission will likely visit there in the next few weeks.

Governor Sandoval expressed displeasure at the ruling last week, saying it invites the possibility of a patchwork of rules differing from county to county.

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