Jackpot, Nevada is supposed to get its first marijuana dispensary this fall.
Thrive Cannabis Marketplace plans to open its 24-hour shop in mid-September, the Magic Valley Times-News reported. The company already runs five other dispensaries in Las Vegas and Reno.
Elko County Sheriff Aitor Narvaiza told county leaders last year he expects clients from Idaho to frequent the shop.
“I think most of the traffic will be from Idahoans traveling south and from people traveling north that will be stopping in and buying it,” he said.
Jackpot is about 45 minutes south of Twin Falls. In Idaho, any amount of marijuana is illegal.
“If you get stopped with it, you’ll get a misdemeanor traffic citation and then you go about your business,” Narvaiza said. That’s if you have less than three ounces.
Twin Falls County Sheriff Tom Carter told the Times-News highway patrols near the state border would likely increase.
Twin Falls County Commissioners sent a letter to Elko County last fall opposing a dispensary, saying it would threaten public health and safety in Idaho.
But Elko County Commissioners voted to allow it because residents and leaders in Jackpot, an unincorporated area in the county, strongly advocated for industry to set up shop. The town is known for its casinos and several were hurt by the pandemic, threatening the local economy.
There are also dispensaries on the Oregon-Idaho border. Ontario, Ore., less than an hour from Boise, received $1.5 million in tax revenue from marijuana sales in 2020, and is poised to receive more this year, Politico reported.
To set up shop in Jackpot, Thrive Cannabis had to pay a $20,000 license fee and will have to pay a $10,000 annual license renewal. Additionally, the business will contribute a 3% tax on gross revenue to Elko County.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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