Legal adult marijuana sales began in Nevada on Saturday, making it the fifth state in the nation to establish a regulated marijuana market for adults. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. PT, adults 21 and older with a valid ID will be able to purchase up to one ounce of marijuana or one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana-infused edibles or concentrates from licensed marijuana retail outlets. Retail marijuana sales will be subject to a 10 percent sales tax, which state officials estimate will generate more than…

MPP received the Award for Community Activism at the 2016 Cannabist Awards last night during the Cannabis Business Conference and Expo in Las Vegas. Fittingly, the award was accepted by our director of state campaigns, Matthew Schweich, who oversaw MPP's highly successful initiative efforts in 2016. Thank you to everyone who voted for us, and an even bigger thank you to all of the volunteers and supporters who help us do the work we do. [caption id="attachment_10172" align="aligncenter" width="470"]…

The campaign in support of Question 2 in Nevada has launched a new ad campaign that highlights the ways in which regulating marijuana for adult use would benefit veterans and others who have difficulty accessing marijuana for therapeutic purposes via the existing medical program. The ads — a statewide TV spot and several billboards appearing across the Las Vegas metro area — feature a Marine Corps veteran who substituted marijuana for prescription painkillers to alleviate pain associated with fractures…

Nevada patients who have been waiting for years for a licensed dispensary to open in the Las Vegas area finally have some good news. On Monday, doors opened to the Las Vegas area’s first dispensary — Euphoria Wellness. Over 70% of Nevada’s medical marijuana patients are located in Clark County and, until now, they had nowhere to purchase their medicine. In 2000, voters overwhelmingly supported an initiative that made Nevada one of the earliest states to adopt a medical marijuana law. It took the…

[caption id="attachment_7684" align="alignright" width="300"] Sen. Tick Segerblom and Joe Brezny[/caption] The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol launched a signature drive Tuesday in support of a 2016 ballot measure that would end marijuana prohibition in Nevada. State Sen. Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas) and former Nevada Republican Senate Caucus Executive Director Joe Brezny were the first to sign the petition at a news conference in Sen. Segerblom's law office. The initiative would make…

The Marijuana Policy Project is gearing up for a 2016 campaign to tax and regulate marijuana in another Southwestern state, Nevada. Although a recent poll found that a majority of Nevada residents (54%) support legalizing marijuana for adults and 39% voted in favor of legalization on a 2002 ballot, MPP’s communications director Mason Tvert said that there are several reasons to wait until the November 2016 election to launch a petition. By 2016, Tvert said, the campaign will almost certainly have…

In continuing coverage of the unveiling of MPP's billboard supporting boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in his struggle against the draconian fines imposed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for testing positive for marijuana on a drug test, MPP director of communications Mason Tvert was interviewed on Ralston Reports:

On Tuesday, MPP unveiled its billboard in support of boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., who was fined $900,000 and handed a nine-month suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for testing positive for marijuana. Located at 2001 Western Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada, the graphic proclaims, “A majority of Nevadans support Julio’s SAFER choice,” referencing a new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling. “Stop driving athletes to DRINK!” “Marijuana is far less toxic, less addictive, and less…

MPP executive director Rob Kampia is interviewed on "The Agenda," a popular political show on the Las Vegas NBC affiliate. In particular, he discusses the prospects for legalizing marijuana in Nevada and the growing public support for ending marijuana prohibition nationwide.

In yet another illustration of how the marijuana debate has gone completely mainstream, the freshly-crowned winner of the Miss USA pageant, Alyssa Campanella, stated that she supported the use of marijuana for medical purposes. As the California representative at the pageant, the judges thought it appropriate to ask the young lady about her opinions on marijuana. She had this to say: "Well, I understand why that question would be asked, especially with today's economy, but I also understand that…