Just about anything is available in Las Vegas. And, most everything is available at a drive-thru window… Beer, wine, liquor, food, even marriages are available at a drive-thru window in Vegas and now you can add cannabis to the list.
The Covid pandemic has changed a lot about the way we do business and now you can add cannabis to the list. When it first hit last year, cannabis was considered an essential business because so many people rely on marijuana products for pain relief and other medicinal purposes.
The Las Vegas City Council voted 6-0 to rescind citywide restriction on dispensary drive-thru operations, according to The Las Vegas Review Journal. Clark County and North Las Vegas had already lifted the ban so Las Vegas was really lagging behind.
The bill received broad support from the marijuana industry which was expected. This is virtually a safer way for customers and patients to get their cannabis products without being exposed to others.
“Drive-throughs allow dispensaries to serve customers efficiently and safely, while balancing capacity limits and other restrictions,” drive-throughs provide an opportunity for customer convenience, especially for elderly or medical patients who have difficulty leaving their cars.”
Layke Martin, executive director for the Nevada Dispensary Association, in a letter of support.
Thrive Cannabis Market in North Las Vegas has been operating a drive-thru window since last July and about 40 percent of their business was coming from the cars lined up at the window to purchase their cannabis.
“It’s been incredibly beneficial for us for a number of reasons: One being COVID safety protocols. And given the capacity restrictions that we are currently under, we were able to not only meet but to exceed our pre-coronavirus sales numbers and traffic as well without having to drive as many people through the store.”
Ashley Blackwood, the compliance director for Thrive Cannabis Marketplace
Of course security issues must be addressed at each location through the licensing process and any dispensary wanting to operate a drive-thru window must follow development requirements necessary for any drive-thru.
“It’s just a standard that we have whether you’re a bank, whether you’re a fast food restaurant, whether you’re a wedding chapel, or now a marijuana dispensary.”
Planning Director Robert Summerfield during the hearing on the bill last month.
We see this as a recent local trend but NuWu Cannabis Marketplace near downtown Las Vegas, which operates on Las Vegas Paiute tribal land, has had a drive-thru window since 2017 and they have been thriving.
