When Nevada passed Question 2 legalizing recreational marijuana, the same question seemed to pop into everyone’s mind: Will I be able to smoke weed in Las Vegas Casinos now?
For a tourists craving the late night gambling, alcohol, parties and everything else that goes with Las Vegas, indulging in a toke at the slot machines sounds like the perfect addition a city of easily accessible vices.
But it doesn’t look like a recreational users dreams are coming true anytime soon. According to the Las Vegas Sun, a recent discussion at a meeting of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Gaming Commission did not favor seeing marijuana in casinos.
“It comes down to something very simple. Maybe the emperor has no clothes. In no way do I feel comfortable in my role as regulator to allow a licensee to permit a felonious act to occur anywhere in their property,” Gaming Commission Chairman Tony Alamo said.
Because marijuana is still a federal crime, although legal at the state level, allowing weed in Las Vegas casinos seems to make the gambling industry uneasy. “Were we to take a position that would allow a federal law to be broken and not act on it, that has a great chance of inviting federal intervention,” Commissioner Randolph Townsend said.
No votes or formal recommendation were made during the meeting, leaving the discussion still very much open. “Going back to my law school days, I learned that laws that are not enforced should not stay on the books,” Commissioner John T. Moran Jr. said.
However, even if the Gaming Control Board and Commission did favor weed in Las Vegas casinos, there are still some hurdles to leap. The main concern being that Question 2 clearly states that marijuana cannot be consumed in public spaces.
This issue brought several questions to the forefront of the discussion, including whether or not conference and hotel rooms were considered public or private spaces. “There are some questions that will probably require that the Legislature get involved,” board member Terry Johnson said.
As the states continue to sort out the best ways for a regulated marijuana industry to exist, it will be interesting to see the developments when it comes to other industries affected. But until the Federal Government legalizes marijuana or the Nevada Gaming Commission rids themselves of their fears surrounding legalized pot, it looks like smoking weed in Las Vegas casinos is no.