Las Vegas has a cannabis conundrum. The city allows the sale of marijuana for recreational use, but it only allows it to be smoked in private residences. That means that people visiting the Las Vegas Strip, Fremont Street, or any other part of the city are technically breaking the law when they light up.
Now, Las Vegas police have better things to do than bust people for smoking pot, but not having places where cannabis can legally be smoked has led to other problems. First, the Las Vegas Strip -- really any crowded place in the city that's outside -- now smells like marijuana.
Second, the adults who visit Las Vegas to engage in "sins" like gambling, indulgent eating, and having a few alcoholic beverages do not have to hide those things. Tourists who have legally purchased marijuana in Las Vegas, however, have to either blatantly flout the law or smoke in the corners of parking lots.
Neither of those benefits the city and Nevada has taken steps to correct the problem. The state has set the framework for legal consumption lounges and two very interesting players are getting close to giving Las Vegas tourists a place to legally (and comfortably) light up their joints, pipes, and other methods of smoking cannabis.
Planet 13
Las Vegas Getting an Upscale Cannabis-Friendly Hotel
The off-Strip boutique Artisan Hotel at Sahara Avenue and Interstate 15 -- just a few minutes off the Las Vegas Strip was purchased in 2022 by Elevation Hotels and Resorts. The property will be renamed the Lexi and turned into a cannabis-friendly hotel.
While no specific opening date has been announced, the first-of-its-kind for Las Vegas hotel is expected to open in April. The 64-room hotel will have a floor of rooms with enhanced air filtration as well as no carpets, heavy drapes, or other materials known for absorbing smoke.
"We definitely want to create a more elevated experience," Elevation CEO Alex Rizk told Travel Weekly. "We are cannabis-inclusive but not cannabis-centric. We want all people, whether they want to partake or not, to feel welcome and really destigmatize the use of cannabis."
The Lexi will also offer shuttles to local dispensaries, a steakhouse run by former Hell's Kitchen contestant Jordan Savell and a European-style top-optional pool.
Planet 13 Has a Consumption Lounge Coming
While the new law will allow many dispensaries to add consumption lounges, none will be located on casino-occupied properties. That's not because Caesars Entertainment (CZR) and MGM Resorts International (MGM), which dominate the Strip don't want them, it's because cannabis remains illegal under federal law.
And while it would have been fun to see Caesars unleash a Guy Fieri-inspired cannabis consumption lounge or something similar, the casinos will not be partaking. That leaves Planet 13 (PLNHF) , Las Vegas' largest dispensary (and a destination in itself) as the brand building the most-anticipated cannabis consumption lounge.
The company, which has its "Superstore" about a mile off the Strip has been approved by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board to build a lounge.
"The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex will be the first of its kind space where consumers can watch products being made, purchase, and consume all under one roof," the company shared in its press release.
Planet 13 already has a on-site restaurant and coffee shop at its Superstore. The company will actually be giving up its liquor license at its Las Vegas location in order to open its cannabis consumption lounge.
"We are thrilled to be moving forward with our plan to bring a world-class cannabis consumption lounge next to the Las Vegas Strip," said co-CEO Larry Scheffler. "Planet 13 has always been about offering new and one-of-a-kind immersive experiences for customers. We look forward to once again pushing the envelope and expanding people's minds about what cannabis can be."
