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…

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 (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.  

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…

Director Riana Durrett (UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute) participated in the December MJBizCon event, speaking on a panel with American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp President, Michael Bronstein; Dutchie VP for Marketing, Bryan Barash; and National Cannabis Industry Association Director of Government Relations, Michelle Rutter Friberg.…

Cannabis Policy Institute Director Riana Durrett and CPI Director of Research Marla Royne Stafford presented "Cannabis and Gambling" research at the 2025 Cannabis Research Conference on October 7th in Portland, Oregon. The research, which examines the intersection of gaming and cannabis — including the effect of legal status on usage patterns…

The Cannabis Policy Institute at UNLV hosted its Student Showcase of Cannabis Research and Policy on Sept. 5 with special remarks by Congresswoman Dina Titus as well as The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West Executive Director David Damore. and UNLV faculty Rochelle Hines and Showcase Chair Dustin Hines. Undergraduate and graduate…

Director Riana Durrett (Cannabis Policy Institute) participated in a panel discussion and Q&A along with cannabis policy advocates and government representatives during the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) Equity Workshop Tour event in Las Vegas on May 22. The panel was moderated by Chandler Cooks and featured fellow panelists,…

Director Riana Durrett (Cannabis Policy Institute) joined a panel of cannabis industry stakeholders and other experts on June 12 for the International Cannabis Bar Association's (INCBA) 2025 Cannabis Law Institute conference in Denver, Colorado. The panel, "The Next Decade of Cannabis: Springboarding Forward from the Initial State Regulatory…

Director Riana Durrett (Cannabis Policy Institute) joined KNPR "State of Nevada" host Joe Schoenmann; Las Vegas Paiute Tribe chairman Benny Tso; and Las Vegas Paiute Tribe attorney Dave Colvin for a discussion on May 6. The discussion centered on the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe's role in Nevada's cannabis industry, examining the success of…

The Cannabis Policy Institute at UNLV was honored to host Congresswoman Dina Titus on February 18 for a cannabis policy roundtable with UNLV researchers and others to discuss top cannabis research and policy issues. Those in attendance included CPI Director, Riana Durrett; Cannabis Economics Group at UC Davis Director, Robin…

Riana Durrett (Cannabis Policy Institute) joined Nevada Cannabis Association Executive Director Layke Martin for the January 17 episode of KNPR's State of Nevada to discuss the state of the cannabis industry. Durrett and Martin discussed Nevada's illegal cannabis market, pricing and cannabis taxation, and cannabis tourism. To listen to the full…