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Nevada Gaming Commission Says No To Recreational Marijuana

With the legalization of marijuana use, many businesses throughout the country are trying to develop ways to deal with the presence of marijuana and it is a hot debate in Nevada, as gaming regulators are discussing how they should work with the marijuana business. Since marijuana use became legal, there have been restrictions for use at any licensed gaming establishment, but there are some events and various relationships between businesses that should be considered before continuing with marijuana prohibition in casinos.

The Continued Prohibition of Marijuana in Casinos

Governor Brian Sandoval is trying to work to get businesses to work together regarding marijuana. There has been an executive order signed and a committee will be discussing how gaming establishments in Nevada can exchange monies with the marijuana business that is constantly growing. The discussion will entail whether casinos can host events that may promote the sale of marijuana or even whether marijuana can be distributed at gaming establishments. Casinos continue to prohibit the consumption and sale of marijuana at their facilities, but the state gaming policies may see some changes in the near future. Back in 2014 when medical marijuana became legal, licensed casinos were instructed to avoid exchanging money or doing business with anyone in the marijuana industry, so these new changes are making some people nervous.

Some industry leaders fear they will be charged with money laundering if they engage in business with marijuana distributors seeing as the drug is still prohibited in a federal sense. At this time, casino operators are unsure as to what they are to enforce when it comes to marijuana, so the new executive order and the help of The Gaming Policy Committee will be able to shed light on whether marijuana will soon become part of the casino industry in the state.

Canada May Legalize Marijuana Use

The Canadian government is taking steps to legalize marijuana use in the country and if the proposed legislation passes, marijuana possession and use may be legal as soon as June 2018. Each province in Canada will have the right to determine the legal age to use or possess the drug and will also determine how the drug will be sold. Since a number of individual states in the US have already legalized marijuana, Canada may be looking to the US for help in developing laws and restrictions when the law does pass. The new laws would permit the possession of 30 grams of marijuana and there would be penalties and laws for selling to minors.

One of the problems that Canada is concerned about is drug smuggling over the border to the United States. Since only a few states have legalized the use and dispensing of marijuana, it would be a criminal act for someone to take the drug from Canada into the US. This could cause major problems at the border and there will be longer wait times and severe traffic backups where there are border crossings since there would be inspections for marijuana products.

US Can Help to Regulate Marijuana Laws

Since some US states are already dealing with legal marijuana, Canada may look to the US for some assistance when it comes to regulating the use or the drug in establishments, especially in social settings like casinos. With Nevada being one of the states to have legal marijuana use, Canada may rely on the legal structure being set forth for drug use in such locations. Gambling is a popular pastime in Canada and many residents of the country engage in gambling activities at local casinos as well as at some of the top rated online casinos in Canada. If marijuana were to become legal, the country would have to develop strict laws regarding how the substance could be used or dispensed at such public establishments.

The US is urging Canada to cultivate some social standards around the use of marijuana once it becomes legal. It will be important for more than just laws to be developers. The government should also focus on various social habits that can help with the responsible use of the substance. The goal should be to regulate recreation consumption and to stress the importance of social norms. As the US strives to battle the state and federal laws regarding marijuana use, Canada will not have those same battles. There is no state-federal conflict. However, Canada will be turning to the US for assistance in regards to how the substance can be used or sold in public locations, including at casinos, hotels and other areas that attract tourists. There will be many benefits when Canada does legalize the substance and when Canadians go from an illegal to a regulated market there will be economic gains as well, including more jobs and the reduction of crime.

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