Pubdate: Wed, 26 Mar 2014
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2014 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233
Page: 6B

CASH FROM HASH

Clark County Rightly Recognizes Revenue Source

Medical marijuana still makes most local elected officials nervous,
despite ample political cover from voters and lawmakers alike. It's
been more than a decade since the electorate amended the state
constitution to allow the sick to use doctor-prescribed marijuana, and
it's been almost a year since the Legislature finally allowed the
licensing of up to 40 dispensaries in Southern Nevada. Yet local
governments have been reluctant to allow the businesses that are
thriving - and providing significant tax revenues - in other states.

Finally, last week, Clark County commissioners went outside their
comfort zones and passed an ordinance allowing dispensaries in the
valley's unincorporated areas. Moving past the dogma of the country's
failed war on drugs wasn't easy. To avoid being labeled as "pro-weed,"
commissioners considered a handful of ill-advised restrictions that
would only make medical marijuana more expensive and harder to come by
for the patients who need it. One of them, a requirement that
dispensaries sell products cultivated in the county, creates a big
regulatory burden on entrepreneurs from the get-go.

But the fact that the county was willing to go forward with an all-new
industry was highly encouraging. Boulder City has flatly rejected
dispensaries. Henderson has a moratorium on dispensary license
applications. Although the Las Vegas City Council last week authorized
medical marijuana dispensaries, the city won't accept license
applications until July.

Clark County, on the other hand, will accept dispensary applications
between April 16 and May 2, then hold a marathon public hearing June 5
to award licenses. The county thus takes the lead in pursuit of all
the investment and jobs that will come with the opening of medical
marijuana cultivation facilities and dispensaries. As reported by the
Review-Journal's Ben Botkin, Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said
one company estimates a single cultivation facility will create 200
jobs. And that's after local electricians, plumbers and iron workers
finish building the places. "We can definitely use those jobs in Clark
County," Mr. Sisolak said.

To say nothing of the property and sales tax revenues. Yet the same
municipalities that are pushing away dispensaries are simultaneously
pressing for changes in the state's property tax caps that would make
everyone pay more.

Colorado and Washington state already have legalized recreational use
of marijuana, and Nevada and other states could very well vote to do
the same in 2016. Marijuana already is sold and used in most every
neighborhood. Tough-on-pot posturing doesn't sell. Cities that fail to
create a reasonable regulatory climate for medical marijuana will be
left behind when the drug inevitably becomes fully legalized - and
their coffers will be poorer for it.
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