NLV approves medical marijuana ordinance
North Las Vegas OK’d a second medical marijuana ordinance Wednesday, unanimously adopting business licensing rules first introduced early this month.
City planners, who heard a litany of regulatory requests from patients and prospective pot business owners at a public hearing on July 2, were given two weeks to work out kinks in the city’s license fee schedule before putting Wednesday’s 21-page ordinance to a vote.
Staffers smoothed out wrinkles in the city’s earlier adopted pot planning and zoning rules, drawing up changes meant to allow pot dispensaries on select commercial zoning as part of a land use ordinance unveiled this week.
North Las Vegas pot dispensary owners will have to hand over a $60,000 annual fee and 6 percent of annual sales to put down stakes in the city.
City pot cultivation applicants are in line to pay the same rate on yearly sales in addition to a $30,000 annual fee.
APEX Industrial Park-bound pot growers will have to put up a one-time $30,000 origination fee, but only one-third of the city’s maximum sales charge.
Applicants headed to the city’s 22,000-acre “green zone” also look set to save thousands on waived annual renewal fees. Preliminary fee tables unveiled Wednesday were not finalized as part of the ordinance approved by City Council members.
Community Development and Compliance Director Greg Blackburn does not anticipate any major changes to the tentative fee table, which he expects to put before city leaders for final approval on Aug. 20.
Contact James DeHaven at jdehaven@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3839. Find him on Twitter: @JamesDeHaven.
