MMJ Tug-of-War in Nevada Between State, Clark County

A showdown is brewing between Nevada’s health department and Clark County officials over dispensary licenses.

A Nevada judge has ruled that the process state officials used to select businesses to dispense marijuana in unincorporated Clark County was fair, paving the way for dispensaries to open as early as next month.

Five prospective dispensary owners filed a lawsuit after receiving approval to operate by the county but not the state, asking for an injunction that would delay the opening of MMJ centers in unincorporated areas of Clark County. But District Court Judge Kathleen Delaney said that the state followed all regulations when selecting 18 applicants that received preliminary permits, according to KLAS TV in Las Vegas.

The county, however, is firing back. On Monday, the Clark County Commission denied 58 applications for dispensary licenses, including a handful the state had already approved.

The move is reportedly an attempt to get Nevada health officials to reconsider applicants that received local approval but did not get the go-ahead from the state, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Ten dispensaries that won the nod from both Clark County and the state are cleared for launch, and one could open as early as January.