Cannabis consumption lounges on Tuesday were once again voted down by Washoe County’s Board of County Commissioners after gaining a spot on the agenda for the fifth time since 2018.
Dozens of residents from Incline Village and Washoe Valley – both home to retail cannabis locations – spoke out against the lounges. They cited concerns over impaired driving and quality of life.
“Public safety is already an issue for many of us who live here, many of us who work here, and we do not need to invite more reasons for people to come here and get on the roads and be incapacitated and not fully within their driving faculties,” Incline Village resident Pamela Tsigdinos said. “Many other jurisdictions have already declined to have cannabis lounges within their area – Carson City, City of Sparks, Douglas County.”
Sol Cannabis owner Ed Alexander – the only cannabis licensee in Washoe County approved by the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board for a lounge permit – spoke in favor of the lounges.
“I’m asking that we are given the opportunity to update the current policies and codes in an effort to be inclusive of all of the members of this diverse and dynamic community,” Alexander said. He advocated for lounges as a resource for medical cannabis users or newcomers to cannabis use to get hands-on guidance on cannabis use by a trained professional.
“I ask that you not limit the positive impact that we have and are continuing to have in our community,” he said.
Commissioner Clara Andriola, who was the only sitting commissioner yet to cast a vote on consumption lounges, said she was concerned that the law hadn’t kept up with the cannabis industry.
“The standards, and the science and the benchmark, does not really exist,” Andriola said. “I’m not saying this lightly, but it is the wild, wild west. Until we have the science, a practice standard, the law catching up with this industry … I am not going to support this. There is too much concern of public safety.”
Driving under the influence of marijuana was the primary reason commissioners first voted down the concept of cannabis lounges back in 2018. At that point, county staff was looking to create regulations to have on the books should the lounges become legal at the state level.
By 2021, Nevada’s legislature gave the Cannabis Compliance Board the green light to regulate consumption lounges, and by June 2022 the regulations were finalized. In both September and October of that year commissioners approved county staff to move forward with drafting regulations for cannabis consumption lounges within unincorporated Washoe County and amending county codes to accommodate the businesses.
By January 2023, commissioners were set to vote on the code amendments that would allow for the consumption lounges, but with a new mix of board members, the issue went a different direction.
Commissioners then voted down those proposed amendments, essentially killing the matter.
“Unless staff receives direction from the Manager’s Office / Board to revisit the issue, we will not be bringing back code amendments for consumption lounges,” county spokesperson Bethany Drysdale said at the time.
Assistant County Manager Dave Solaro, prompted by Commissioner Mike Clark, requested the item be placed back on the agenda. It again failed to get full commission approval.
Commissioners Andriola, Jeanne Herman and Mike Clark voted against amending county codes to allow for the lounges, while Alexis Hill and Mariluz Garcia voted in favor.
Why did cannabis lounges get back on the agenda?
Comments from Commissioner Clark and Sol’s Ed Alexander on Tuesday provided more detail as to how the question of cannabis lounges made it back to the board’s agenda.
“I wanted this to be as clear as clear could be,” Clark said of the issue.
According to Clark, Alexander, whose business lies within Clark’s commission district, in January said he didn’t feel he had been treated fairly or given the opportunity to speak on behalf of his business and the prospect of consumption lounges at prior meetings. Clark suggested that Alexander host informational meetings for those living near his business.
“As a business owner I feel it’s his job to convince the folks … that he was going to be doing what he could to mitigate odors and other things,” Clark said.
Alexander said he has spoken to thousands of people over the past four years about cannabis consumption lounges and how they would operate. He also said he hosted a number of town halls over the past several months to educate residents on the issue.
Despite Alexander’s efforts, Clark wasn’t convinced to change his vote to favor creation of consumption lounge regulations.
“I think the citizens of my area have not changed their views,” Clark said. “In this case, I’m going to do what I like to always do is stand with the constituents that are going to be affected by this.”
