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State law could be barrier for minorities to operate marijuana dispensaries

August 27, 2020 - 9:53 pm

As recreational marijuana sales boom in Nevada, minorities are getting left out of the industry, activists say.
Marijuana use is nearly equal between white and black Americans. But black Americans are arrested nearly 3.5 times more for marijuana possession, according to the Brookings Institution. Marijuana convictions could prevent someone from obtaining a license to operate a dispensary. An applicant for a medical license would be ineligible if they have been convicted of a violent crime or a drug-related felony, including marijuana. It’s similar for recreational licenses. No one has been denied a license so far because of a past drug-related conviction, according to the Department of Taxation.
But recreational applications are only open to those with medical dispensaries already. Applications from the general public are open starting in November.

Doctors say Nevada’s new opioid law is causing them pain

August 27, 2020 - 3:40 pm

It’s been only three days since Nevada’s new opioid prescription law took effect, and doctors already are venting about its impact on their practices. Several doctors said the law makes unreasonable paperwork demands, while the proposed regulations don’t specify the types of conduct that could lead to penalties or even the loss of their medical licenses. Doctors also are worried that the threat of discipline will funnel patients from specialists to primary care physicians to pain management clinics. Others are worried the law and proposed regulations will drive away doctors who are considering moving to Nevada, a concern in a state that faces a severe doctor shortage. Under the law, doctors must limit initial prescriptions to two weeks and perform a patient risk assessment before writing a script. If prescriptions are extended, doctors must enter into a written patient agreement, in which the patient consents to random drug testing and provides a list of other drug use or states where they’ve received a controlled substance prescription.

Dry start to winter prompts ugly forecast for Colorado River

August 27, 2020 - 3:41 pm

A new forecast for the Colorado River says the outlook for the coming year is bleak. The National Weather Service predicts the river will flow at about 54% of its average volume from April to July. That’s when the river usually swells with snowmelt from the Rockies and other ranges, but precipitation this winter has been well below normal across the region. There’s still plenty of time for conditions to improve. The river basin tends to accumulate much of its snowpack in January, February and March. Lake Mead ended 2017 almost 2 feet higher than a year ago, as use of Colorado River water by Nevada, Arizona and California hit its lowest level since 1992. The lake can use all the help it can get. Its surface has dropped more than 130 feet since drought started in 2000. Projections for the lake are almost certain to get worse.