LAS VEGAS — Euphoria Wellness opened Monday to select, preregistered patients, marking the official introduction of legal medical marijuana to the Las Vegas Valley.
The dispensary located at 7780 S. Jones Blvd., near Robindale Road, is offering just the small buds of plants in its early run. Laboratory-approved strains range in price from $17 a gram to $336 an ounce.
Euphoria followed the opening of Sparks’ Silver State Relief in July, which was seen as Nevada’s first legal medical marijuana dispensary to open. Disputes over county regulations and potential legal battles held up the opening of legal medical marijuana operations in Southern Nevada.
According to Darlene Purdy, general manager of Euphoria Wellness, the dispensary will offer oils, concentrates and edibles once production centers open. Purdy estimates October as the time for a full menu offering.
Purdy also estimated as many as 200 people will come through Euphoria Wellness through the first few days of its opening.
Though Monday was only a grand opening event for a select few, Euphoria is set to open to all patients registered with the state on Wednesday.
Of course, in order to buy from the dispensary, a patient must have a valid prescription from a doctor.
“Their physician that they see will recommend them for being a patient of medical marijuana,” Purdy explained. “They send that recommendation to the state, and they go through a process with [Nevada].”
But, some physicians don’t plan on sending any recommendations for their patients.
Steven Saxe, a oral and maxillofacial surgeon, said the prescription for medical marijuana is patient-specific. He explained while some of his patients may benefit from the THC in the product – those who have had cancer and are going through chemotherapy, he said he is one of several Valley doctors who do not plan on prescribing the medical marijuana.
Saxe said marijuana can cause cancer with smoking the drug being the most rapid delivery method of THC.
Several more dispensaries are expected to open by the end of the year. In all, the Las Vegas Valley can expect to have 40 to 50 dispensaries.
