Vegas' New Tourist Draw: Legal Pot Is for Sale

Nevada became the fifth state in the US with stores selling marijuana for recreational purposes, opening a market early Saturday that is eventually expected to outpace any other in the nation thanks to the millions of tourists who flock to Las Vegas. People began purchasing marijuana shortly after midnight, just months after voters approved legalization in November and marking the fastest turnaround from the ballot box to retail sales in the country, per the AP. Hundreds of people lined up at Essence Cannabis Dispensary on the Las Vegas Strip. A cheer erupted when the doors opened.

Those 21 and older with a valid ID can buy up to an ounce of pot. Tourists are expected to make nearly two of every three recreational pot purchases in Nevada, but people can only use the drug in a private home. It remains illegal to light up in public areas, including the Las Vegas Strip, casinos, bars, restaurants, parks, convention centers, and concert halls. Violators face a $600 fine. Some new marijuana dispensaries are in strip malls, while others, in stereotypical Las Vegas fashion, are in neighborhoods shared by strip clubs. (More Nevada stories.)