Getting Stoned in Las Vegas: What Tourists Need to Know
Everyone knows the old saying, What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Though it’s one of the most well-known taglines in the history of North American tourism, few people know how and when it came into existence.
In 2003, a Las Vegas ad agency called R & R Partners was given the task of rebranding Las Vegas as being a tourist hot spot that offered much more than gambling. After a year of research, their case study discovered that most people see Las Vegas as a city of freedom.
People who visit Las Vegas have the freedom to partake in things that aren’t readily available in most other cities. This freedom has become a strong psychological connection for many who have grown to love Sin City.
If you’re planning a trip to Las Vegas anytime soon, you’ll want to know best sinful places to visit while you’re here.
Las Vegas Dispensaries: Choosing the Right One
On July 1, 2017, Nevada joined the ranks as the fifth state to legalize the recreational consumption of cannabis. No more going to the ophthalmologist or any other “ologist” looking to score a prescription for medical marijuana.
Since the passing of the legislation, dispensaries have been popping up all over the place. Who are their biggest clients? Tourists.
And most of those unwitting tourists don’t know that, though there are plenty of places to purchase cannabis, there aren’t as many places that allow people to consume it legally. Therefore, it’s a good idea for anyone planning a trip to Las Vegas to know what dispensaries are the best and where it’s permissible to consume it.
At present, there is Essence, the first ever Las Vegas dispensary on the iconic Las Vegas Strip. However, there isn’t any place for out-of-towners to legally smoke cannabis on The Strip. This is because it’s virtually illegal to smoke it in any public place, including hotel rooms.
Your best bet at being able to smoke your legally purchased cannabis without the threat of having to pay a $600 fine is knowing someone who lives in Las Vegas. That’s if they also smoke or don’t have a problem with you doing so.
Other options are edibles or vape pens, both of which offer fairly discrete ways of enjoying yourself. However, it’s important to note that even those forms of cannabis consumption are fineable if caught in public.
Lastly, you can find cannabis-friendly (420-friendly if you will) lodging through companies such as Cannabis Tours, which are specialized tour companies that help tourists and locals find lodging where they can legally consume cannabis products.
Beware of Cannabis-Related Scams When Visiting Las Vegas
Las Vegas is known for a lot of things, most of them good. However, Sin City is also well-known to have plenty of scammers lurking about looking to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists.
Since cannabis legalization is fairly new to the area (and the nation as a whole), it’s important to know the difference between genuine and fake cannabis.
If you find someone selling cannabis for a lower-than-normal price, don’t buy it. Most dispensaries pretty much stick to the industry norms as far as price goes.
Lastly, never buy synthetic marijuana, like Spice, K2, and Black Mamba.
Only Purchase Cannabis From a Licensed Dispensary
Though this may seem obvious, it’s surprising how many people knowingly and unknowingly purchase cannabis from non-licensed dispensaries. For those who care not to buy low-quality cannabis products, be sure to do your homework before shopping at any dispensary.
The best way to check if a dispensary is in the legal, contact the Department of Taxation, Marijuana Enforcement Division and make an inquiry. This holds especially true if you find a dispensary off the beaten path.
Some so-called dispensaries that are running without a license or are up to some other funny stuff like to operate in low-traffic areas in order to avoid detection. If you’re not a local or new to purchasing legal cannabis from a dispensary, it’s wise to shop at well-known, highly-reputable establishments.