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March 28, 2024

Group unveils study touting economic benefits of recreational marijuana

CRMLA Marijuana Report

L.E. Baskow

Sen. Pat Spearman shares comments regarding the report being released by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) on the Economic & Fiscal Benefits Analysis of legalization at The Law Offices of Ashcraft & Barr on Tuesday, July 12, 2016.

Updated Tuesday, July 12, 2016 | 6:50 p.m.

CRMLA Marijuana Report

John Restrepo, Amanda Connor and Sen. Pat Spearman are part of a press conference where the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) release an Economic & Fiscal Benefits Analysis at The Law Offices of Ashcraft & Barr on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Launch slideshow »

Making recreational marijuana legal in Nevada would help eliminate black market sales and generate millions of tax dollars for education, representatives of an advocacy group said Tuesday.

Speaking at the law offices of Ashcraft and Barr, 2300 W. Sahara Ave., representatives of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol discussed a new economic study from Las Vegas-based RCG Economics. The study estimates a regulated recreational marijuana industry would create more than 40,000 jobs in Nevada.

“Legalization of recreational adult-use would be a benefit to all Nevadans,” campaign spokesman Joe Brezny said.

Also speaking at the event were Nevada state Sens. Tick Segerblom and Pat Spearman, Las Vegas attorney Amanda Connor, and RCG principal John Restrepo.

The speakers argued that ending marijuana “prohibition” will also increase tax revenue.

“There is a general consensus among economists that you’re better off having a regulated market than a black market, and marijuana is no different,” Restrepo said. “In terms of the negative effects and externalities, there’s no question in my mind it’s better regulated.”

Connor, who represents multiple medial marijuana businesses across the Las Vegas Valley, said she has been “pleasantly surprised” with the early success of the medical marijuana industry and the “responsibility of the owners in protecting our state.”

She argued the successful medical program, which Segerblom estimates has brought in $300 million in revenue to Nevada, would translate to even more state revenue as a recreational substance.

“These people are doing a great job monitoring who comes into their stores and complying with the law,” Connor said. “They’re contributing revenue to the state.”

Spearman, a military veteran, said she doesn’t use the drug, but medical marijuana has benefited thousands of legal users statewide. She said additional legislation is needed to bring marijuana further “out of the shadows.”

“We need to eliminate the bad actors and eliminate that stream of income for gangs and notorious people like that,” she said.

Spearman compared marijuana to alcohol and tobacco, saying that, when unregulated, the substance becomes “more available” to children and “doesn’t do anything for our state.”

She said additional state revenue from medical marijuana would help Nevada build a “first-class education system.”

“It’s time to move forward on this,” Spearman said.

The roughly 30-member coalition launched the “Yes on 2” campaign earlier this year to support a ballot initiative that would allow Nevadans 21 and older to purchase up to an ounce of marijuana legally from licensed dispensaries.

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