Cannabis
in Nevada

Adults 21 and over may possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis or one-quarter ounce of concentrated cannabis, according to the Cannabis Compliance Board. These limits took effect on January 1, 2024, when Senate Bill 277 raised them from the earlier one ounce of flower and one-eighth ounce of concentrate, figures still quoted by many older sources. Cannabis must be bought from a state-licensed retail store, and it must stay sealed in public and in vehicles. Medical cardholders may possess up to 2.5 ounces in any 14-day period. Nevada also has a tax stamp law under which legally possessed cannabis is expected to carry state-issued stamps, which mainly affects anyone holding cannabis from outside the licensed market.

Nevada sets 21 as the minimum age to buy, possess, or use retail cannabis, and dispensaries require valid government-issued photo ID; there is no residency requirement for adult-use purchases. People under 21 found with an ounce or less face a misdemeanor and community service under a change effective October 1, 2021. The medical program admits patients from age 18, and the Division of Public and Behavioral Health maintains separate application forms for minors. Minors cannot register online; a parent must contact the registry by phone, and a parent or legal guardian serves as the minor's caregiver. Caregivers must be at least 21 and approved by the patient's medical professional.

Home cultivation in Nevada depends on distance from a store. Under NRS 678D.500 and Cannabis Compliance Board guidance, an adult may grow up to six plants, with no more than twelve per household, only if no state-licensed retail cannabis store operates within 25 miles of the residence. Plants must be grown in an enclosed, locked area that is not visible from public places. Property owners can restrict or prohibit cultivation on their premises. Medical cardholders may also cultivate under specific circumstances set by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, such as having no dispensary nearby or being unable to travel to one, and clinic and legal sources put the medical limit at twelve plants.

Nevada splits oversight between two agencies. The Cannabis Compliance Board, created by Assembly Bill 533 during the 2019 legislative session, licenses and regulates cannabis businesses, including retail stores and consumption lounges, and enforces the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Regulations with a stated mission of protecting public health and safety. The patient side is run by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, which maintains the medical marijuana cardholder registry, processes applications, and issues cards under NRS 678C. Adult-use rules are set out in NRS 678D. Older sources refer to the Nevada State Health Division or to NRS 453A, which predate the current arrangement.

Our research for Nevada is thin on taxes. The only rate it establishes is a 15 percent excise tax on recreational cannabis purchases, and that figure comes from a commercial clinic source rather than a state agency. The sources do not establish whether general state and local sales tax is also charged, whether medical purchases are taxed differently, or how the revenue is spent. NORML notes that Nevada has a tax stamp law requiring legally possessed cannabis to carry state-issued stamps, which mainly matters for cannabis held outside the licensed market. Anyone who needs an exact figure should confirm the current rates with the Cannabis Compliance Board or with the retailer before purchase.

Nevada allows licensed consumption lounges. Assembly Bill 341, passed in 2021, legalized them, and the Cannabis Compliance Board licenses these venues as legal places to consume. Outside a lounge, consumption is allowed only on private property with the owner's permission. Using cannabis in public places and moving vehicles is prohibited, and that includes the Las Vegas Strip, casinos, hotels, bars, and parks, which matters for tourists who might assume a hotel room counts as private. Property owners, homeowners' associations, and condo boards can restrict or ban use on their premises. Public use or display can be charged as a misdemeanor, with fines of up to $600.

Nevada's medical registry is run by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. A patient first obtains a recommendation from a Nevada-licensed physician; because cannabis is a federal Schedule I substance, providers recommend rather than prescribe it. The patient then applies, either online through the registry's patient portal by scanning a state ID and uploading documents, or by paper or email. On approval, the patient receives an approval letter that dispensaries accept for 60 days while the physical card is mailed, typically within 7 to 10 business days. The registration fee is $50 for a one-year term or $100 for a two-year term, with the term determined by the healthcare provider.

The Division of Public and Behavioral Health lists a broad set of qualifying conditions, including AIDS and HIV-related conditions, opioid dependence, muscle spasms, neuropathic conditions, seizures, severe or chronic pain, anorexia, cachexia, anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and autoimmune disease. Other sources add cancer, glaucoma, severe nausea, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some older sources describe a list of only nine conditions; the registry's current list is considerably longer, with clinic sources citing more than twenty. Conditions not on the list may be approved through a separate process, and patients with questions about a specific condition are directed to contact the Division directly.

Applicants must be Nevada residents, at least 18 years old, and hold a recommendation from a Nevada-licensed MD or DO. The Division of Public and Behavioral Health requires a copy of the front and back of a Nevada DMV driver's license or identification card. Applications may be filed online through the registry portal, or by paper or email, and minors use separate forms, with a parent contacting the registry by phone. The registration fee is $50 for a one-year term or $100 for a two-year term. Cardholders must notify the registry in writing within seven days of a change of address or caregiver. Updating details or replacing a lost card carries no fee.

Nevada registrations are issued for either one or two years, with the term chosen by the recommending healthcare provider, and the fee is $50 for one year or $100 for two. Legal sources describe cards as requiring renewal at the end of the term. The official sources in our research do not set out a separate renewal procedure, which suggests patients should expect to obtain a new provider recommendation and submit it to the registry through the same online, paper, or email routes as the first application. Clinic sources advertise renewal evaluations at around $49, though providers set their own prices. Patients should allow time for the approval letter to issue before the current card expires.

Nevada's official registry pages in our research do not address telemedicine, and a reference summary of the state's law notes that telemedicine rules for medical card applications are not specified. Commercial clinics nonetheless advertise online evaluations for Nevada patients, with same-day approval and dispensary purchases, and new-patient visits priced around $79 plus the state fee. Whatever the format, the recommendation must come from a Nevada-licensed MD or DO, and the patient still has to register with the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Because the rules are not clearly documented in the sources, patients should confirm with the Division that a remotely issued recommendation will be accepted before relying on one.

Nevada recognizes medical cannabis cards from other states, according to legal and clinic sources, provided the card has not expired and the issuing state exempts cardholders from criminal prosecution. The official state sources in our research do not describe how this works at the dispensary counter, so visiting patients should check with a store in advance. Visitors 21 and over do not need a card at all to buy: adult-use stores serve anyone of age with valid government-issued photo ID and no residency requirement, under the same 2.5-ounce possession limit that applies to residents. Carrying cannabis across state lines remains illegal under federal law, whichever route a visitor uses.