Letters were mailed to eligible license holders in the state, but Chris Thompson, the executive director for the Las Vegas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) said with few responses, tax commissioners approved a temporary regulation that would allow the department to make exceptions for non-wholesalers.

In May, the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada filed a complaint saying the booze wholesalers should have exclusive rights to the licenses and that a May 31 license deadline for the wholesalers should not be enforced.

At the end of May, a judge ruled in the alcohol wholesalers favor. But state officials have said they intend to appeal this ruling.

Nevada, the only state where both gambling and prostitution are legal, is adding recreational marijuana to its list of sanctioned indulgences for adults, with sales kicking off at more than dozen shops beginning on Saturday.

As result of a legalization measure approved by Nevada voters in November, the state will join four other U.S. states and the District of Columbia in allowing recreational sales.

Authorized marijuana shops will be able to sell up to one ounce (28 grams) for recreational use by customers 21 years and older, said Stephanie Klapstein, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Taxation.

Denver is preparing to open the country’s first cannabis cafés, but people in the bud business say overly strict rules could kill the city’s — and the nation’s — pot lounges before they ever get a chance to thrive.

In advance of the country’s legalization of adult-use cannabis, last week a coalition of Canadian health agencies released their “Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines” (LRCUG)—a series of risk-reduction tips for all who’d imbibe the soon-to-be-legal plant. Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and endorsed by the Canadian Medical Association, the guidelines kick off with the mandatory nod to abstinence: “The safest way to reduce risks is to avoid [cannabis] altogether.” But from there they proceed with the kind of lucid talk from government officials that is but a dream in less-evolved countries like the US, where the federal government still classifies cannabis a dangerous narcotic on par with heroin and refuses to say much more.

Adult use legalization is scheduled for July 2018, but in the meantime, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations is still in full effect for registered medical patients.

Canada’s medical marijuana program has undergone multiple reincarnations since 2000, when medical marijuana was first legalized. The Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (MMAR) was passed in 2001, and created three avenues through which patients could procure cannabis:

Emergency regulations passed June 26 have changed edible marijuana products expected to go on sale July 1 around Reno. These are some products that had been expected to be available but many will now require packaging changes or will be discontinued. Wochit

Nevadans will vote on whether to legalize recreational marijuana this election.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Nevada marijuana dispensaries are going to have to get rid of or hastily sell any leftover edible marijuana products that become illegal starting this weekend. 

Despite uncertainty about whether recreational marijuana sales were going to start July 1, dispensaries are going full puff ahead around Nevada.

The date also happens to be at the beginning of a busy Fourth of July weekend in Las Vegas.

"Vegas in general is very busy for Fourth of July so that's just music to my ears as far as going rec a few days before Fourth of July," said Matt Morgan, CEO of Tryke Companies/Reef Dispensaries. "We'll be able to cater to all those recreational customers as they come into town."

As the marijuana reform movement grows around the country and legal marijuana becomes a reality, the many great promises of legal weed are beginning to be realized. Reduced prices. More selection. Consistent supply. No legal troubles or safety concerns. No annoying or sketchy drug dealers.

Perhaps one of the most important, at least to some, is consistent and regulated quality. While the black market has certainly provided for us while the government got its act together, many of the marijuana smoked contained harmful pesticides, fungicides, mold, heavy metals, and even additives to make if feel like it was getting us higher.

Marijuana use is being destigmatized at an unprecedented rate. Between medical marijuana becoming more accepted and several states legalizing the substance during the last election, people are talking openly about cannabis use in a way we have never really seen. And new data about who, exactly, is using the drug might be surprising to some people. It turns out that the modern marijuana user is likely to be a woman — and maybe even a parent.

Ever wonder how many people in the world consume cannabis? Well, if you're one of them, then you're in the company of 182 million, 999 thousand, 999 others.