The state of Nevada has become the latest in a list of states to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Thanks to these legal reforms, it is now possible to buy marijuana in the state as long as you are an adult and have some ID.
However, despite this, you are still not allowed to smoke pot at strip hotels and casinos. The reason for this is actually simple. While it is legal to buy pot in Nevada, smoking it in public is strictly prohibited.
If you are found smoking weed in public, you are going to get a ticket or even be arrested in some cases. It won’t matter whether you are a tourist or a local.
As a matter of fact, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police has already issued warnings to the public, noting that marijuana should be used in private residencies only. But it’s not just the police that are taking a stand against the public use of marijuana. Even some of the major hotels at the strip have outlined in their policies a zero-tolerance approach to marijuana use.
The hotels at the strip are in fact very radical in how they view marijuana use. In essence, you cannot even smoke it in the privacy of your own room. It’s not clear how these hotels deal with people who are caught consuming on their premises. Are they reported to the cops? Are they kicked out? Such is the nature of the confusion relating to the enforcement of marijuana laws in Las Vegas right now.
There are some who have argued that the laws are very limiting. According to a marijuana task force that was commissioned by Nevada’s Governor back in 2017, it is estimated that over 60% of all marijuana use in the state will come from tourist.
Las Vegas is a huge tourist destination, no doubt, and it is very likely that a lot of people coming here will be looking for a safe space to consume their pot. Since most of these visitors stay in hotels, you would think that such hotels would provide that safe space for marijuana. But things are different on the ground.
Major Strip hotels don’t seem like they will be backing down on their zero-tolerance policy on marijuana use, and as such, visitors are required to find alternative private places where they can smoke pot. This is a huge inconvenience, and it will be interesting to see how it will affect the overall tourist experience in Sin City.
Most of these hotels have not made any efforts to lobby against the laws that prohibit smoking pot in public. It does look like they are perfectly okay with how things are. Some people might even argue that the idea of limiting pot use within strip hotels serves the interests of hotel owners.
Marijuana also remains illegal at the federal level, something that has been cited by some Strip hotels as the reason why they are not allowing the product into their properties.
