Saying Las Vegas needs to use every tool it can to attract tourists and offer experiences they want during a downturn in visitation, the CEO of Fifth Street Gaming continued his push for a marriage between the casino and cannabis industries.

Saying Las Vegas needs to use every tool it can to attract tourists and offer experiences they want during a downturn in visitation, the CEO of Fifth Street Gaming continued his push for a marriage between the casino and cannabis industries.

In a city known for saying “yes,” Las Vegas may be losing tourists over one big “no” — cannabis inside casinos. Researchers examining Nevada’s gaming and cannabis industries found that the long-standing separation between the two could be limiting tourism, especially as visitor preferences continue to shift toward experience-driven travel.

A new research report on cannabis and the gaming industry outlined Friday afternoon in Las Vegas revealed that the inability of visitors to access it at casinos hurts the tourism industry and called for a relaxation of state standards. The University of Nevada Las Vegas Cannabis Policy Institute and International Gaming Institute’s 3rd Annual Gaming & Cannabis Policy Discussion included a presentation by Robin Goldstein, Cannabis Economics Group Director at UC Davis in California. He detailed the cannabis and gaming research report, “The 1,500-Foot Wall: Barriers between Cannabis and Gaming in Nevada and the Potential for Integration.”

Casino companies should be allowed to offer marijuana on their premises, although doing so would require a change in state gaming regulations and laws, some experts argued on Friday. During the third annual Cannabis and Gaming policy discussion — jointly sponsored by the UNLV International Gaming Institute and the Cannabis Policy Institute — state lawmakers and gaming industry experts discussed changes to current state policy.

Cannabis' reclassification to Schedule I might signal big changes for Nevada's businesses and consumers; CCSD's Jhone Ebert inherits a changing school district; and 20 years in, local music mainstay Keith Thompson reflects upon the success of the Composers Showcase — all that and more on the latest episode of KNPR's State of Nevada.

Nevada's ailing cannabiz wants a better relationship with the casinos, the Las Vegas Sun reports. Since the state legalized REC in 2016, the casino industry, which answers to federal financial regulators, has distanced itself from the industry. The industry says that's part of the problem. The mandatory 1,500 feet between cannabis businesses and casinos keeps tourists away and invites the illegal market in.

A new executive order issued this morning by the Trump administration reclassified medical marijuana, a shift that could ease research restrictions, provide tax relief for cannabis businesses, and signal a more tolerant federal approach to the industry.

Trump’s order shifting state-licensed cannabis to a less-dangerous drug category provides a tax break for operators and eases research barriers.

A new federal proposal, the Higher Education Marijuana Research Act, would create protections for academics and universities involved in studying cannabis and remove barriers to cannabis research.

Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Dina Titus (D-NV) yesterday introduced the Higher Education Marijuana Research Act to eliminate barriers to the academic research of cannabis, protect universities and researchers, and promote the responsible study of marijuana.

Nevada’s legal cannabis industry is at a crossroads — statewide taxable sales have fallen in recent years, a decline that cost the State Education Fund, which receives a portion of cannabis tax revenue, roughly $12 million compared with 2024. The state is also navigating a nearly 9% year-over-year sales drop in 2025, a persistent illegal market and a lack of options for tourists looking to indulge legally during their visits here.