Encore Hotel and Casino: Las Vegas Resort Policies Regarding Cannabis Use

Planning your next trip to Las Vegas, NV soon? Continue reading if you are looking to purchase cannabis while in Sin City.

Nevada is now among a handful of states in the United States that have legalized the recreational use of cannabis. However, there is still some confusion as to how these new laws are implemented. Even though the use of cannabis is legal in the state, users are only allowed to consume cannabis in private residencies. Consumption in public will get you a ticket and in some cases an arrest as well.  

Some of the major hotels on the Strip have also been putting in place policies to govern the use of cannabis on their premises. Many of these major resorts have prohibited the use of cannabis on their premises. The Encore Hotel and Casino is not any different. Using cannabis in guest rooms or any location inside the resort is prohibited.  

One would think this is odd due to the visitor numbers that come to Las Vegas every year in which, the economy of Nevada is largely driven by the tourism industry. It is estimated that 60% of all the cannabis that is consumed in the state will be done by tourists. Since the law mandates that cannabis must only be consumed in private locations, a lot of people visiting the city may be scratching their heads on what to do.  

According to many experts, it would have been easier if the hotels and resorts made provisions for cannabis consumption on their premises. After all, if you are just visiting Las Vegas for a few days, your private place would be the hotel room that you are staying in. It is unclear why resorts like Encore and others on the strip remain closed to the idea of allowing cannabis on their premises. Some of the resorts that have spoken out about this have only said that they are prohibiting cannabis use simply because the recreational use of this product is illegal at the federal level.  

But having said that, it’s still hard to understand this rationale. A lot could still change in the future. A few strip hotels are in fact considering removing their zero-tolerance policy towards cannabis. One hotel even stopped doing regular drug tests for cannabis for its employees. Many pro-cannabis activists in Las Vegas believe that all it takes is one strip hotel to make the move, and the rest would follow. But this could of course take time.  

There is no indication that, Encore will be relaxing its cannabis use policy anytime soon. It seems like the resort, and many others on the Strip, are adopting a wait and see attitude. Until the state of Nevada changes its consumption laws on the strip, tourists and locals alike will not be able to partake at the Encore or any of the major hotels and casinos.