Senate Bill 277 has been approved by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo that makes a number of reforms to the state’s cannabis laws.
A major task included in the Bill is for the Cannabis Advisory Commission to conduct a review of the potential implications for the cannabis industry if cannabis was removed from Nevada’s Uniform Controlled Substances Act.
Nevada legalised medical cannabis in 2001 and adult use cannabis in 2016, however, there have been limits on the amount of cannabis citizens can possess and purchase.
The new bill also enables citizens to posses up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, up from one ounce, and increases limits on concentrates from one-eighth to one-quarter of an ounce.
Additionally, it permits adult-use cannabis dispensaries in the state to sell products to medical cannabis patients.
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Those with certain prior felony conviction will now also be able to petition the state to work in cannabis dispensaries without the expungement of their convictions, and localities will be able to issue licenses to businesses with members that have prior felony convictions “only if the Board determines that doing so would not pose a threat to the public health or safety or negatively impact the cannabis industry in this State.”
Speaking to Forbes, Meg Nash, partner at cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP, said that: “Legislative efforts to increase participation in the regulated industry by people with prior convictions not only benefits these individuals, but also furthers overarching cannabis legalisation policy objectives to combat the failed war on drugs.
“Increasingly, ‘new’ states are incorporating reparative justice elements into their initial adult use legalisation efforts, such as New York and Maryland.
“It is encouraging to see states that were at the forefront of legalisation, such as Nevada, revisiting their laws and regulations to create a more inclusive industry.”
