First Cannabis Hotel in Vegas Holds Its Breath
- Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board said that public cannabis lounges could be a reality in 2022.
- Alex Rizk bought The Artisan Hotel for $11,9M and plans to introduce a cannabis-friendly environment for guests.
- Rizk owns a similar resort in Arizona, where cannabis can be used both by guests and the general public.
Gambling and Marijuana Are Still Kept Separate
Alex Rizk, and his Pro Hospitality Group from Phoenix, bought The Artisan Hotel for $11,9 million, as part of a broader plan to introduce a cannabis-themed hotel to Las Vegas. Rizk already invested in a cannabis-friendly Arizona hotel, and this 64-room exclusive resort at 1501 W. Sahara Avenue will most likely be the first hotel in Vegas that fully supports the recreational use of cannabis.
However, there are numerous problems in his way, namely many regulatory issues. Back in 2021 Nevada legalized recreational cannabis consumption lounges, but the details of those environments are still in the works, and they will most definitely require a license in order to provide services.
Cannabis, or marijuana, is still federally classified as an illegal Schedule 1 narcotic. Basically, on federal level cannabis is equally illegal as heroin or cocaine. Therefore, Nevada casinos must avoid any connection with the cannabis industry at all costs. On several occasions, The Nevada Gaming Commission has warned gambling license owners that cannabis will not be tolerated on their premises, despite the fact that the smell of ganja is already widespread on The Strip.
Nevada’s recreational and medicinal cannabis laws specify that a person can use cannabis only inside of a private residence. Hotel rooms, regardless of whether they are in a casino or not, are off-limits to ‘pot smokers’. On the other hand, the state of Arizona has a more lenient ‘cannabis law’, which enabled Rizk to offer cannabis and non-cannabis rooms in his Clarendon Hotel and Spa, based in Phoenix.
The Clarendon allows both guests and the general public to smoke cannabis in its cannabis lounge, while the hotel shuttle drives hotel guests to cannabis dispensaries in the surrounding area. Nevada’s ‘cannabis law’ practically established The Cannabis Compliance Board, a state agency responsible for the regulation of marijuana lounges and license issuing.
At the moment, the CCB is drafting regulations that will make cannabis lounges possible, and the first licenses are expected by the end of 2022.
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
