Alcohol vendors are major players in Nevada, both politically and economically. And now they’re throwing their weight behind the cannabis movement, likely because they see the potential for big profits if efforts to legalize recreational cannabis in the state succeed.
Alcohol firms have contributed $87,500 to the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the primary group behind the legalization campaign, according to the Las Vegas Sun. That represents a sizable portion of the $663,500 the campaign has raised in total thus far.
The liquor industry has a vested interest in seeing the measure pass. The initiative as written would give alcohol retailers exclusive rights to distribute cannabis for the first 18 months of legal sales. That could mean hundreds of millions in sales for Nevada’s alcohol retailers.
This is just the latest indication that cannabis won’t remain the province of small businesses for long. There’s simply too much money at stake.
