Pot operators seek inroads in rural areas

Despite more marijuana licenses available from the state, parts of rural Nevada continue to shun the business.

But in other parts of rural Nevada, seeds of industry might be sprouting.

Las Vegas dispensary Acres Cannabis has a dispensary under development in Ely. Acres CEO John Mueller said he hopes once his and other dispensaries under development in rural Nevada become operational, other cities and counties might warm up to marijuana.

“All of us fight for city of Las Vegas tourists,” Mueller said. “The rural market is underserved, really, across the country.”

Representatives in Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Pershing, and Storey counties and in Elko told the Review-journal they either have ordinances on their books that prohibit marijuana sales locally or have not seen any interest in local sales.

Mueller said that he expects to open his dispensary in Ely on Jan. 1 and that it will serve medical patients at least. But

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he should learn by Nov. 30 whether his business is licensed for both medical and recreational sales.

Silver State Relief has a medical marijuana dispensary under development in Fernley, and Deep Roots Medical has one under development in West Wendover.

Fernley city Manager Daphne Hooper said the city allows medical marijuana sales and dispensaries that sell both medical and recreational marijuana. The city doesn’t allow solely recreational dispensaries.

West Wendover City Manager Chris Melville said the city allows medical marijuana dispensaries but no cultivation or production businesses for marijuana used recreationally.

Elko City Manager Curtis Calder said the marijuana ordinance could come up for debate after a new city council is seated in January.

Two council members are termed out, and mayoral candidate Marcey Logsden has publicly supported medical marijuana.