Congratulations! You can buy weed in Nevada with zero hassle from the cops. The introduction of legal recreational cannabis in 2017 opened the door to quick and easy sales — no medical marijuana card required. But there’s still a lot of confusion about where you can actually enjoy the stuff. Despite the boom of cannabis culture and tons of dispensaries in Las Vegas, the topic remains a bit complicated. So let’s sort it all out with your complete guide to lighting up a fat one in Sin City.
Is marijuana legal in Nevada for everyone?
Anyone who is 21 and over can purchase cannabis in Nevada for recreational purposes. Just bring a valid government-issued driver’s license, ID or passport. It can’t be expired and must be scannable to confirm it’s the real deal.
Is a medical marijuana card still necessary at all?
There are still a few advantages to having a medical card. You avoid a retail excise tax of about 10% charged to recreational sales. You also have access to a greater variety of product — and by “greater variety,” we mean stronger. Edibles, for example, can’t exceed 100 milligrams of THC per package and 10 milligrams per serving for a recreational sale (with a variance of 15 percent allowed by state law). “Medical patients can purchase in excess of that,” says Brandon Wiegand, director of operations for The+Source, which operates dispensaries in Las Vegas and Henderson. “So there are 300-milligram, 500-milligram, or 1000-milligram edibles that medical patients may opt to use.”
How can I get a medical marijuana card?
Consult with a doctor about why you might medically benefit from the use of cannabis. Qualifying conditions include cancer, HIV, glaucoma, PTSD, cachexia, multiple sclerosis, seizures, severe nausea, or severe pain.
“Chronic pain, nausea, and PTSD are probably the three most common we see,” says Wiegand. “Any doctor can write the prescription. It doesn’t mean the doctor will write the prescription.”
From there, you can apply through a Nevada government website portal, which includes a registration fee of $50 for one year or $100 for two years. Add in whatever you paid for the doctor’s consultation — not to mention the overall time and hassle — and you may realize it’s just easier and more cost-effective to stick with recreational sales after all. It probably depends on how much weed you plan to buy in the near future.
Will medical insurance cover cannabis for medical purposes?
Don’t count on it. The DEA still recognizes cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic, which by definition means the medical benefits aren’t proven or established. (Hey, it’s their view, not mine.) So most insurance companies will tell their customers that medical marijuana won’t be covered until approved by the federal government, including agencies like the DEA and CDC. “Generally, insurance is not going to pay for cannabis,” says Wiegand. “But I’ve heard of some flexible spending accounts that have been able to find a way to work around that.”
How much can I buy at a dispensary?
Recreational sales allow up to an ounce of marijuana or ⅛ of an ounce for concentrates like shatter, wax, crumble, and oils. Medical patients can buy up to 2.5 ounces of product within a 14-day period.