Nevada’s First State-Regulated Cannabis Consumption Lounge Opens in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NV – In a milestone for Nevada’s cannabis industry, the state’s first state-regulated cannabis consumption lounge opened for business in Las Vegas on Friday.

According to KTNV, the lounge called Smoke and Mirrors on Sammy Davis Jr. Drive welcomed its first visitors.  The establishment was granted a license to begin operating by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board.  Recreational cannabis use became legal in Nevada in 2016 and five years later, the state approved permission for business owners to apply for licenses to establish on-site consumption lounges.

The lounges are similar to bars where alcohol is served.  Smoke and Mirrors provides a legal and regulated space for adults to enjoy cannabis products, eliminating the risk of fines and promoting responsible consumption.  It offers a variety of cannabis products, including smokable options and cannabis-infused beverages, along with a check-in service and a bar.

“It means you have a safe place, a public place, that they can consume cannabis, which has not been the reality since recreational cannabis was legalized,” said Bri Padilla of the Chamber of Cannabis.

Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom became the first customer of Smoke and Mirrors on Friday afternoon, and noted that until now fines were imposed for public consumption of cannabis.

“The reality is you could buy it, but you can’t use it in the dispensary and if you’re a tourist, you can’t use it. There’s no home to use it at,” Segerblom said. “This is the first time we’ve ever actually used it publicly for anybody. Right now, if I walked down the street, even though I’m a Nevada resident, if I use it, that’s a misdemeanor. So now we can actually use it visibly.”

Smoke and Mirrors is the first to open among the 19 approved cannabis lounges in the state.  The lounge is owned by Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, the state’s largest independently owned cannabis business.

“It’s more than a venue, it’s a platform for the cannabis industry as a whole, where tourists and locals alike can be a part of a new chapter in the evolution of hospitality,” Chris LaPorte, managing partner of cannabis hospitality company RESET,

The state’s cannabis industry said the lounges would provide an economic boost for the state, and would attract tourists who visit Las Vegas annually but can’t legally use cannabis in places like hotels.

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