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Arizona pot tourists heading to Las Vegas as Nevada legalizes marijuana

Posted at 7:45 PM, Jun 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-01 18:14:35-04

Now that Las Vegas has officially started selling recreational marijuana as of Saturday, pot tourists should learn the rules before they get high, legal experts say.

In Nevada, gambling, drinking, and even some prostitution is allowed. Marijuana may fit right in.

"It's always crazy, so it's going to be fine, I guess," said Ilze Mondragon who was flying to Las Vegas for her birthday.

It's estimated two thirds of recreational marijuana users in Las Vegas will be tourists, so what do locals think?

"There are still a lot of legal ramifications," Las Vegas resident Spencer Cranney said.

You can't use marijuana in hotels, on the Strip, in public, or in restaurants.

"Those are all in the law," Cranney said. "There's going to be a lot of disappointed people."

ABC15 also spoke with Arizona criminal defense attorney Russ Richelsoph about advice for pot tourists. He says don't fly or drive home with the drug.

"Give it [unused marijuana] to somebody in Nevada." Richelsoph said. "Unless you have a medical marijuana card, it's a crime in Arizona to possess marijuana."

An Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman would not say whether troopers will do any special enforcement near the Nevada state line.

When Colorado legalized recreational pot, neighboring states started busting people who brought it over the border. Two states, Nebraska and Oklahoma, even sued in 2014 because of the soaring marijuana cases, which they blamed on the State of Colorado.