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Cannabis Policy Institute at UNLV News

The Cannabis Policy Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is dedicated to the development and advancement of cannabis research, policy, and education.

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Current Cannabis Policy Institute News

UNLV Newsmakers 2026: February
Campus landscape
Campus News |

Some of the hottest headlines featuring UNLV faculty, staff, and students.

UNLV Newsmakers 2026: January
Some early studying during the opening week of the Spring 2026 semester (Josh Hawkins/UNLV).
Campus News |

A look at some of the most eye-grabbing headlines featuring UNLV faculty, staff, and students.

UNLV Newsmakers 2025: November and December 
Fall 25 commencement2
Campus News |

A collection of the top news headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.

UNLV Newsmakers 2025: September
Students on campus.
Campus News |

A selection of top news headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.

UNLV Newsmakers 2025: August
First day of classes.
Campus News |

The top news stories starring university students and staff.

UNLV Newsmakers 2025: July
Campus beauty.
Campus News |

A collection of the most prominent news stories from last month featuring UNLV staff and students.

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Cannabis Policy Institute In The News

Cannabis News Today — Friday 15 May 2026
Business of Cannabis

Nevada forfeits an estimated US$80 million in annual cannabis tax revenue because state regulations impose a 1,500-foot buffer between cannabis retailers and gaming venues, preventing sales in and around the Las Vegas Strip, according to a UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute report published on Thursday.

Nevada Forfeits US$80 Million Annually Due to Cannabis-Gaming Industry Separation, UNLV Report Finds
Hemp Gazette

The findings emerged from the 3rd Annual Gaming & Cannabis Policy Discussion, hosted by the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Cannabis Policy Institute and International Gaming Institute. Lawmakers and officials at the event discussed the implications of regulations that prevent the full integration of the licensed cannabis sector with the state’s established gaming industry.

PoliticsNevada Is Losing Out On $80 Million In Annual Revenue By Separating The Marijuana And Gaming Industries, Report Finds
Marijuana Moment

At the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Cannabis Policy Institute and International Gaming Institute’s 3rd Annual Gaming & Cannabis Policy Discussion late last month, lawmakers and officials discussed the impact of regulations that have kept the licensed marijuana industry from fully integrating with the state’s storied gaming sector.

Opinion | Study: Let Marijuana And Gambling Mix In Nevada
Casino Reports

UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute reports state losing tons of money from keeping them separated

Nevada’s casino cannabis ban costs millions, UNLV report finds
SiGMA

Nevada’s rigid legal separation between the cannabis and gaming sectors is acting as a massive weight on the state’s economy, according to a recent report from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Cannabis Policy Institute.

Nevada’s ban of cannabis in casinos is costing the state, UNLV reports
iGaming Business

According to data from a University of Nevada study, 70% of US adults support allowing cannabis consumption spaces in casinos.

All Cannabis Policy Institute In The News

Recent Cannabis Policy Institute Accomplishments

Cerina Dubois, Amrit Baral, Riana Durrett, Hyoun S. Kim, Elizabeth Danielson, Robin Goldstein, Johannes Thrul
Cannabis researchers from the UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and other institutes have published commentary on the "California Sober" approach to the use of addictive substances. Published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, the "Redefining Recovery: The Expanding…
Cannabis Policy Institute; Riana Durrett
The newest release of the High Marks: Dr. Robin Goldstein’s State Weed Rankings podcast is now live. Co-hosts Cannabis Policy Institute Director Riana Durrett, and Cannabis Economics Group at U.C. Davis Director Robin Goldstein, Ph.D., welcomed special guest Steve DeAngelo, founder of the Last Prisoner Project; the co-founder of Arcview, NCIA, and…
Riana Durrett, Marla Royne Stafford, Juliana Ness, Jordyn Sanders, Maggie McLetchie
Director Riana Durrett, Research Director Marla Royne Stafford, legal extern and former William S. Boyd School of Law student Juliana Ness, graduate assistant and UNLV student Jordyn Sanders (all Cannabis Policy Institute), and attorney Maggie McLetchie have published an in-depth examination of cannabis and gaming in the Journal of Cannabis…
Riana Durrett, Robert Mikos
The Cannabis Policy Institute and William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV, including Director Riana Durrett (UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute), were proud to welcome national cannabis law figure, Robert Mikos to the school as a visiting scholar on February 9. Mikos, whose research interests include federalism, constitutional law, drug law and policy…
Riana Durrett. Marla Royne Stafford, Julianna Ness, Margaret McLetchie, Jordyn Sanders
Riana Durrett. Marla Royne Stafford, Julianna Ness, Margaret McLetchie, Jordyn Sanders (all Cannabis Policy Institute at UNLV) had their paper, “Integrating Cannabis and Gaming: Re-evaluating their business intersection,” accepted for publication in the Journal of Cannabis Research, the top ranked journal in the cannabis field.  
Riana Durrett, Cannabis Policy Institute
The Cannabis Policy Institute at UNLV is honored to announce the institute has been awarded a grant through California's Department of Cannabis Control Cannabis Academic Research Grants Program. The proposal, "Pathways to Partnership with the Tribal Cannabis Market," will help develop partnerships between California state and tribal regulators in…
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