By a 4-1 vote Thursday, the Board of Supervisors took a pass on hosting cannabis lounges in Carson City.
The motion was in direct response to Assembly Bill 341, which Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law in June, giving counties the option to welcome cannabis lounges. The new city ordinance prohibits business licensure of cannabis consumption lounges and prohibits the consumption of cannabis and cannabis products in public places.
Mayor Lori Bagwell pointed out the city has two retail cannabis dispensaries within city limits and said that neither voiced any opinions for or against the ordinance. Though, the board did receive two public comments via email, rejecting the ordinance.
Supervisor Maurice White voted against the motion on the basis that it was premature action, considering the legislative session just recently ended, and Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board has promised to release further regulations.
The law allowing lounges statewide does not go into effect until Oct. 1, and applications for cannabis lounge business licenses will not be considered until next year.
Bagwell said she did not want to be among the first cities in Nevada to host cannabis lounges.
Among other agenda items, the board:
• Deferred action on the proposed agreement with the state that would allocate funds recovered from opioid lawsuit settlements. The state has to edit the language of the agreement, so the board will review it in a future meeting.
• Passed a motion to renew an agreement providing body-worn cameras and fleet in-car cameras to the sheriff’s office.
• Appointed Kristine Currie to the Open Space Advisory Committee. She has lived in Carson City for two years and has a background in city planning. She was chosen among four other candidates.
• Reviewed two presentations from the Carson Water Subconservancy District. CWSD representatives said surveys have shown few residents realize the city and surrounding lands are all part of the Carson River watershed. Residents have a large impact on what kind of pollutants end up in the river.
