No Marijuana Lounges in Unincorporated Washoe County as Commission Rejects Ordinance Change

NEVADA – In a party line vote, the majority Republican board members of the commission decided against moving forward with changing county ordinances to allow marijuana consumption lounges in unincorporated Washoe County. The 3-2 vote effectively means that there will be no pot lounges in the county for the foreseeable future. Sol Cannabis in Washoe Valley, the only local applicant to receive a state license from the Cannabis Compliance Board, will not be able to operate a lounge.

Supporters of marijuana lounges argued that such spaces were necessary to provide legal consumption areas for both tourists and locals. However, Commissioners Mike Clark, Clara Andriola, and Jeanne Herman voted against allowing staff to draft the new ordinances. Democratic commissioners Alexis Hill and Mariluz Garcia voted in favor of the lounges.

Commissioner Clark, representing the district including Sol Cannabis, clarified that he personally had no objection to the lounges but was voting based on the concerns of his constituents. Many residents of Washoe Valley and Incline Village voiced their opposition to the lounges during the public comment period.

Commissioner Andriola, a newcomer to the commission, voted against lounges citing the lack of a standardized marijuana impairment test approved by federal transportation officials.

Ed Alexander, owner of Sol Cannabis, expressed disappointment with the outcome, stating that the decision would lead to people continuing to smoke marijuana illegally in public spaces instead of regulated lounges. The rejection of the ordinance change means that marijuana consumption lounges will not be allowed in unincorporated Washoe County at this time.

Credit: Fox Reno