Assistant County Manager Dave Solaro is requesting the Washoe County Board of Commissioners next week revisit rules regarding cannabis consumption lounges. Proposed amendments to county codes are needed for the lounges to become reality, Solaro noted in a letter to commissioners.
The commissioners in a 3-2 vote in January killed the possibility of cannabis lounges in Washoe County. Commissioners later reversed course and requested the county revisit the issue.
The January vote against the lounges could only be revisited, according to Washoe County spokesperson Bethany Drysdale, if staff received direction from the county manager’s office to revisit the issue.
Solaro is now asking for the commissioners to “create the necessary code language … related to cannabis consumption lounges in unincorporated Washoe County,” according to his letter.
“A staff report seeking the Board’s approval to formally initiate the amendment and provide you with direction to submit the request to the District Attorney to prepare a code amendment,” Solaro added.
That’s what’s prompting the board to reconsider lounges at Tuesday’s regular county meeting.
SoL Cannabis is the only dispensary eligible to become a lounge under current state regulations.
“There was massive confusion over what they were approving,” SoL’s Ed Alexander said after the January denial.
Commissioner Mike Clark also said he didn’t know what he was voting for when he voted against the lounges.
State law allows for consumption lounges, but local governments have to develop regulations for those lounges. Reno is proceeding with its own regulations, but no Reno-based dispensaries have been approved by the state to operate lounges.
Washoe Valley residents previously opposed SoL becoming a lounge in addition to its current dispensary.
