Nevada Gov. Signs Bill to Increase Cannabis Possession Limits & Reduce Industry Restrictions

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) last week signed an omnibus cannabis bill into law that more than doubles the state’s personal possession limit and removes other industry restrictions, according to a Marijuana Moment report.

The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Dallas Harris (D), immediately raises the purchasing and possession limit from one ounce of cannabis flower to two and a half ounces, and from an eighth of an ounce of cannabis concentrate to a quarter of an ounce.

The law also adjusts the state’s cannabis industry regulations as such:

• It removes the need for adult-use shops to hold a medical license in order to serve medical cannabis patients.
• It blocks the issuing of any further medical cannabis licenses starting January 1, 2024, except in regions where adult-use sales remain prohibited.
• It reduces cannabis licensing and renewal fees are to be reduced under the new law.
• It allows for past felons to receive cannabis industry licenses at the discretion of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board, so long as it first “determines that doing so would not pose a threat to the public health or safety or negatively impact the cannabis industry in this State,” the report said.
• It mandates the state Cannabis Advisory Commission investigate how removing cannabis from both the federal Controlled Substances Act and the Nevada Uniform Controlled Substances Act could affect the industry.
• Lastly, it requires officials to consider how future changes to the industry could affect the environment, and determine ways to mitigate or offset potentially harmful outcomes.

The Nevada cannabis industry recorded nearly $1 billion in retail sales for the fiscal year 2022.