Nevada’s Legalization of Cannabis Dispensaries has Sparks Thriving
Nevada’s medical marijuana history is brief due to the fact that the State only legalized it 16 years ago. This allowed patients criminal immunity for both possessing and cultivating cannabis for medicinal reasons. However, patients were still presented with the dilemma of legally obtaining their medicine. It wasn’t until the year 2013 that Nevada’s legislature passed Senate Bill No. 374, allowing dispensaries to open. The main purpose of this bill is to help patients and improve the State’s overall money flow. The community in Sparks has seen a variety benefits stemming from medical marijuana establishments (MME’s).
Nevada has set heavy regulations on dispensaries to ensure safety and consistency. A huge advantage MME’s have over other options such as the black market, is that all products are tested by a third party.
Local Spark’s patient David Douglas stressed the importance of this regulation, saying, “The availability of dispensaries has affected me by allowing me to know exactly what I’m getting. Opposed to street dealers, the dispensary has everything labeled and marked with every ingredient. It’s just overall safer because you know everything about it.” This is exactly what businesses like Silver State Relief provide for the community. Their mission is to “Provide a broad range of high quality, fairly priced products. We will bring legitimacy to the marijuana industry by acting with the highest level of integrity, strictly adhering to regulations and by promoting the clinical efficacy of medical marijuana.”
Illegal outlets and the black market simply cannot compete. The convenience and accessibility of MME’s like Silver State Relief, makes illegitimate drug dealers a much less appealing option for medical patients like David Douglas.
A local illegal cannabis dealer who will remain anonymous, is experiencing these effects, saying, “I have lost some business but not much. Most of it is because I am not always available, while clubs have designated open hours, which makes them more convenient and reliable.” Limiting and taking away power from these criminal outlets improves community safety.
This business is rapidly growing in Nevada, accomplishing one of its main goals with ease. According to News 4 and Fox 11, “Medical marijuana has generated more than $229,000 in sales tax since it was legalized in Nevada in July.” 75 percent of this collected revenue has gone towards schools, while the rest is added to the funds of the State health division. The Sparks community is feeling the impact of money generated by its only MME. When speaking with General Manager Aron Swan of Silver State Relief, the need for this business becomes evident.
Swan promptly stated, “In terms of benefits, certainly tax revenue. This year we will submit to the State well over half a million dollars, so certainly that’s a boom for the State.” This overwhelming amount of money is more than anyone saw possible. After conversing with Swan, it appears that it will only continue to grow with time.
Swan also claims that the surrounding businesses are experiencing positive impacts as well. After speaking with a few businesses that neighbor Silver State Relief, he couldn’t be more accurate. Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has nothing but high praise when asked about the dispensaries impact on the community and their store. It’s also the main reason why Biggest Little Vape Shop opened up next door. Dispensaries and vape shops go hand in hand, which means they see a lot of the same customers.
Brian Lietner, an employee for Biggest Little Vape Shop supports Swan’s claims. He says, “The cliental I have seen so far, seems like they really need it and there’s a real purpose here.” Local businesses will continue to see improvements as MME’s draw more and more people into the district.
The Sparks community is thriving in different ways. However like most businesses, Silver State Relief has attributed to some negative drawbacks. The presence of dispensaries introduces a possible problem of patient diversion. Swan discusses this possible issue of customers irresponsibly taking advantage of MME’s. It mainly entails customers re-selling medical products to individuals who shouldn’t have it. While he’s suspicious of this occurrence, he believes for the most part that it isn’t a huge problem.
Swan asserts, “We do everything in our power to prevent that, but at the end of the day it’s the patients responsibility to do what’s right.” All the regulations in the world simply could not completely eliminate this potential issue.
A primary concern of the communities is the possible spike in crime that can arise from MME’s. After speaking with Medical Marijuana Officer Sergeant Marlene Cleveland of the Sparks Police Department, this simply has not been the case. There hasn’t been any notable ramifications since Silver State Relief opened its doors to the public in July 2015. This is promising for the future of dispensaries in Nevada and more specifically, the Sparks area. The money and service that Silver State Relief has provided for their community cements it as a legitimate place of business here in Nevada.
According to Swan, “If medical marijuana companies are operating in a well regulated state,” the cannabis industry will continue to grow and thrive, bringing the community with it. The overall support and praise Sparks has for their MME speaks high volumes for the future state of this business.