Nevada’s cannabis rules are straightforward once you separate adult-use (recreational) from medical—and remember that the state raised limits in 2024. Below is a clear rundown of daily and rolling-period purchase/possession limits, product quantities, and how out-of-state buyers fit in, with citations to the most current state sources and statutes.
Adult-use (recreational) limits
Who can buy: Anyone 21+ with valid government ID may purchase at a state-licensed retail store. Nevada tracks sales in a statewide system to enforce limits and prevent same-day over-purchases across multiple shops.
How much: Since January 1, 2024, adults may possess (and retail stores may transact up to)
- 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis (flower/edible forms), and
- ¼ ounce (0.25 oz) of concentrated cannabis (separated resin, e.g., vape, dab, etc.).
These amounts reflect the increase enacted in SB 277 (2023) and are reflected in the Cannabis Compliance Board’s “Know the Law” page and its official transaction/possession limit exchange chart used by dispensaries. READ MORE: Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board
Equivalency & tracking. Dispensaries use the CCB’s exchange chart to convert different products to the statutory possession cap in real time (for example, balancing a mix of pre-rolls, edibles, vapes, and flower within the 2.5-ounce/¼-ounce limits). Nevada’s inventory system enforces these caps at checkout.
Where you can consume: Private residences or other private spaces with permission, and properly licensed consumption lounges. Public use (sidewalks, casinos/hotel rooms that prohibit it, vehicles) remains illegal. The CCB’s “Know the Law” page is the best quick reference for these do’s and don’ts.
Medical cannabis limits
Who can buy: Qualified patients (and designated caregivers) registered with Nevada’s Medical Marijuana Patient Cardholder Registry, as well as certain nonresident medical patients (see reciprocity below).
How much: Nevada uses a rolling-period framework for patients rather than a “per-day” cap. Medical patients may purchase/possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis within any 14-day period (concentrate counts toward statutory possession caps via the same exchange logic). This higher medical threshold is recognized across state guidance and legal references. READ MORE: Nevada State Bar
Why it matters: The 14-day medical window is designed to support continuity of treatment while still giving dispensaries a clear compliance calculation (via the exchange chart) for mixed product baskets.
Taxes & age: Medical purchases are generally exempt from the 10% retail excise that applies to adult-use, and registered patients under 21 may obtain medical cannabis (subject to program rules). See Nevada’s medical chapter (NRS 678C) for the governing framework. READ MORE: Justia Law
Out-of-state buyers (tourists & visiting patients)
Adult-use tourists: Visitors 21+ can buy adult-use cannabis like Nevada residents, subject to the same 2.5-oz/¼-oz limits and the same consumption-location restrictions (i.e., not in hotel rooms that ban it, not in public, not in vehicles).
Medical reciprocity: Nevada law authorizes dispensaries to serve certain nonresident medical patients who present valid medical credentials from their home state. The authority appears in NRS 678C.470 (“…authorized to dispense cannabis to nonresidents… under certain circumstances”) and is cross-referenced in the medical chapter. In practice, dispensaries verify an out-of-state card (or equivalent) plus ID before ringing a medical transaction. Policies can vary by store, but the statutory basis for nonresident dispensing is clear.
Important federal note: Crossing state lines with cannabis remains illegal, even where both states allow adult-use or medical. Buy it, use it, and keep it in Nevada.
“Daily” vs. “monthly” caps—how Nevada actually enforces limits
- Adult-use: Nevada treats the 2.5-oz/¼-oz figures as the maximum per transaction/possession window, and retail systems prevent consumers from exceeding the legal amount at the point of sale (including across multiple stores). There is no separate “monthly” allowance; the legal cap governs what you can possess/purchase at a time, and the exchange chart aligns different forms into that cap.
- Medical: Patients have a rolling 14-day allowance of 2.5 ounces (with concentrate equivalencies applied). Again, there is no monthly figure in statute; the program relies on this 14-day window. READ MORE: Nevada State Bar
Practical compliance tips (2025)
- Know your basket. If you’re mixing flower, vapes, and edibles, ask the budtender how each item converts against the CCB exchange chart so you don’t overshoot limits—especially important for medical patients managing the 14-day window.
- Mind the setting. Hotels, multifamily housing, and HOAs often prohibit on-site consumption even though the state permits adult use—private property rules still apply. The CCB’s “Know the Law” page outlines public vs. private use boundaries.
- Visiting patients: Bring your medical card and government ID. Call ahead—some dispensaries run added checks on nonresident credentials, but NRS 678C.470 allows dispensing to qualifying nonresidents.
What changed recently—and why it matters
Nevada expanded adult-use limits in SB 277, effective Jan. 1, 2024—from 1 ounce to 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis, and from ⅛ ounce to ¼ ounce of concentrate. That change, confirmed by the Nevada Lawyer (State Bar) briefing and the CCB’s exchange chart, makes it easier for tourists and residents to make a single stop, stock up within lawful limits, and avoid accidental over-purchases. Medical rules (2.5 oz per 14 days) continue alongside the merged regulatory framework for licensees.
