Drive-Thru Cannabis Dispensaries Get Green Light
From weddings to liquor, to peep shows, you can get almost anything in a Las Vegas drive-thru. Now, a new service has been added to that list.
On Wednesday, the Las Vegas City council voted 6-0 to overturn a previous citywide restriction that prohibited retail drive-thru operation. Las Vegas is joining the several Nevada jurisdictions that already allow marijuana drive-thru services.
#lvcouncil voted to remove the prohibition of drive-through facilities for cannabis dispensaries subject to conditional use procedures, limitations & requirements. Security issues will be addressed through the licensing process.
— City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) March 3, 2021
Cannabis licensing info: https://t.co/pMVSC4qajS
The welcomed move will help promote further safety measures for consumers as the coronavirus pandemic continues. However, the motion comes late as other states with legalized cannabis, such as California, Maryland, and Florida began allowing drive-thru cannabis services when the pandemic began last March.
Local cannabis dispensary retailers will need to follow the same city-wide regulations placed on all drive-thrus – regardless of the business. Ordinance requirements include issues such as queuing lanes and landscaping.
Dispensaries must also continue to follow Clark County’s rules for cannabis businesses, including being at least 1,000 feet from a school and 1,500 feet from a non-restricted gaming property.
Las Vegas city officials say applicants must follow conditional use procedures, limitations, and requirements. Security plans must also be addressed during the licensing process.
“The effect will be to allow a dispensary to propose and operate a drive-through facility as a conditional use,” according to the bill.
“The drive-through use will be subject to conditional use procedures, limitations, and requirements. In addition, for existing dispensaries, other approval processes might be necessary to entitle a drive-through. Security issues would be addressed through the licensing process.”
A recent report from Forbes revealed that U.S. cannabis sales hit record-high sales of $17.5 billion as Americans are consuming more marijuana than ever before.
Keep up to date with local cannabis stories at vegasnews.com.