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A Week After Legalization, Nevada Weed Dispensaries Are Already Sold Out

The state considers emergency rule to address the shortage.

The one thing the state of Nevada is in no short supply of is weed enthusiasts. This was proven last Sunday night when marijuana was legalized, making it the fifth state to do so for recreational purposes. Within the week rations were low. Reports say Nevada made nearly $1 million in taxes over the weekend, with dispensaries raking in about $3 million, but since there’s so few licensed dispensaries, there’s fear of a weed shortage.

According to CNN Money, Al Fasano of ReLeaf, a medical dispensary in Las Vegas, said he saw seven or eight times more business than usual this weekend, with many customers being tourists from out of state (medical marijuana has been legal in Nevada since 2001).

“The line is out the door and the line just doesn’t stop,” Fasano said. “People are there when we open [at 10 a.m.] and they’re there when we close [at midnight].”

Although business is booming, there simply aren’t enough suppliers licensed to transport recreational marijuana to meet the demand of the dispensaries. The Nevada Tax Commission is looking to implement an emergency rule to consider more applicants for distribution licenses. The commission is set to vote on the regulation this Thursday.

"Based on reports of adult-use marijuana sales already far exceeding the industry’s expectations at the state’s 47 licensed retail marijuana stores, and the reality that many stores are running out of inventory, the Department must address the lack of distributors immediately. Some establishments report the need for delivery within the next several days," a spokeswoman for the Department of Taxation said.

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