Douglas, Neilander first two appointments to marijuana board
CARSON CITY — Gov. Steve Sisolak has tapped a former state Supreme Court justice and top gaming regulator as the first two members to the Cannabis Compliance Board, the new regulatory body that the governor has touted as key to regulating Nevada’s legal marijuana industry.
Sisolak announced Friday that he appointed former Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael Douglas and longtime Gaming Control Board Chair Dennis Neilander to the board. The appointments, Sisolak said in a statement, bring together “one of the brightest legal minds in Nevada’s history and the longest-serving chair of the highly regarded Gaming Control Board.”
The board is slated to take over regulatory duties of Nevada’s marijuana industry on July 1, and will eventually consist of five members. The governor’s office said the other appointments will be made at a later date.
Douglas served on the high court from 2004 until he retired in 2019, including two separate stints as chief justice in 2011 and 2018. Douglas worked in the civil division for the Clark County district attorney’s office from 1984 to 1996 before being appointed to the Clark County District Court, where he served until 2004.
Neilander served as chair of Gaming Control Board for 10 years, from 2001 to 2011.
The terms for Douglas and Neilander begin immediately and they will be eligible for reappointment on July 1, 2021.
“I have the utmost confidence that these principled public servants will provide invaluable guidance and steady hands as the Cannabis Compliance Board transitions to a fully authorized enforcement body on July 1,” Sisolak’s statement said.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.