Ashley Maden | Nevada News Group
Thursday, October 14, 2021
In a unanimous ruling last week, Winnemucca City Council members voted to prohibit cannabis consumption lounges within city limits following the passing of establishments being allowed at the state level.
Council members Jim Billingsley and Mike Owens were not present at the Oct. 5 meeting and did not vote on the matter. Council member Pam Coats appeared via teleconference, and Vince Mendiola and Theresa Mavity were present in person.
Winnemucca Mayor Rich Stone said the city received a letter from the state cannabis commission requesting information about how many cannabis lounges would be allowed within the city of Winnemucca.
The city currently has two dispensary licenses, which means they could allow one consumption lounge equal to 50% of the dispensary licenses allotted.
“It might be good for Las Vegas and Reno,” said Stone. “I don’t think our community needs something like that.”
All three council members in attendance agreed to direct staff to update the marijuana ordinance to disallow consumption lounges.
“I would like something written up to not allow consumption lounges,” said Mendiola said.
Just as in the matter regarding dispensaries, the city has no jurisdiction to make decisions for the Winnemucca Indian Colony, which currently has a dispensary, Water Canyon Dispensary, on its land in Humboldt County.
It is unclear whether the tribe is planning a consumption lounge in the future.
Earlier this year, the Carson City Board of Supervisors took a similar stance, voting 4-1 to prohibit such lounges, with Mayor Lori Bagwell saying didn’t want Carson to be among the first cities in Nevada to host cannabis lounges.
The motions come after the adoption of Assembly Bill 341 during the 81st legislative session this spring. Gov. Steve Sisolak signed the bill into law in June, giving counties the option to welcome cannabis lounges where local authorities permit them, beginning in 2022.
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