The Latest: Nevada posts cannabis store applicants, owners
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — The Latest on the signing of a pot dispensary license transparency law in Nevada (all times local):
1:10 p.m.
Nevada is making public the names of people and businesses awarded lucrative licenses to sell recreational marijuana in the booming state marketplace.
As Gov. Steve Sisolak signed what he called a transparency law, the state Department of Taxation posted to its website what it says are about 10,400 documents including 8,900 names of applicants for dispensary licenses in Nevada.
Taxation chief Melanie Young says it includes names of those who were awarded licenses and those who were not.
It shows dispensary owners; applicant companies, owners, officers and board members; and scores reached by evaluators.
Young is defending as "common practice" the use of temporary employees to screen 462 applications the state received for 61 new dispensary licenses last year.
The state is facing multiple lawsuits from companies turned down during that process for licenses to open dispensaries in coming months.
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12:45 p.m.
Nevada's governor has signed a law to open the books and air the names of those awarded lucrative licenses to sell recreational marijuana.
Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak signed the measure Friday in Carson City.
The new law for the first time makes public the identity of marijuana license applicants and the method the state uses to score and rank bids.
It comes with the state facing multiple lawsuits from companies turned down last year for licenses to open dispensaries in coming months.
The number of dispensaries in Nevada is set to nearly double, with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake and the marijuana marketplace booming.
There are currently 65 marijuana stores...