(LAS VEGAS) — Recreational marijuana becomes legal to buy Saturday in Nevada, but that doesn’t mean anything goes in the place where most people think anything goes.Officers say they have been preparing for months to enforce the law passed by voters in November. They will focus on keeping stoned drivers off the road but also will crack down on those illegally using pot in public, which carries a $600 fine for a first offense.Here’s a look at some of the rules surrounding Nevada’s next legal vice:
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WHERE CAN PEOPLE USE POT?
Only in a private home, including yards and porches. While it may be legal to stroll down parts of the Las Vegas Strip with your favorite adult beverage, don’t think the same applies to lighting up under the neon lights. It’s prohibited in casinos, bars, restaurants, parks, concerts and on any federal property.
The lack of places to light up has led many in the industry to believe edibles will be most popular with tourists, who can eat the goodies almost anywhere without attracting attention, including casino floors where cigarettes are allowed but pot-smoking is not.
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WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHANGE FOR POLICE?
Some departments have been giving officers additional training on determining who might be impaired. The impact of legal pot on crime rates is often debated, but police in Reno say studies show there is clearly an increase in work for law enforcement.
“It changes the dynamics of what we have to enforce and what we don’t in terms of marijuana,” Deputy Reno Police Chief Tom Robinson said. Previously, “police officers have been told to aggressively enforce marijuana laws. Now, we’ve got to change our stance, which isn’t a big deal, it’s just a mindset shift for our personnel.”
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HOW ARE AIRPORTS PREPARING?
Nevada’s major airports are fine-tuning existing policy. The federal government, which regulates the secure areas of airports, bans possessing marijuana. It also is illegal to carry pot across state lines.
However, the Transportation Security Administration says agents do not search bags for pot or other drugs. If they come across a substance that appears to be pot during screening, they refer it to local law enforcement.
Officials at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas said that if the TSA asks for help, a local officer would determine how much marijuana is involved. If it’s less than an ounce, you’re allowed to keep traveling.
The aviation director of the county encompassing Las Vegas has asked Clark County commissioners to outlaw marijuana possession at McCarran and other airports. Aviation Director Rosemary Vassiliadis said in a public filing that the proposal aims to keep the airport system in compliance with federal regulations.