The cannabis consumer experience has evolved so much this decade. Shit, I remember in the 1990’s when I bought my first bag of schwag, and I would have to park a block from the house I was going to or meet sketchy ass people in parking lots. The options back in those days were usually limited to one or two types of flower, testing was unheard of, and the name of the purchased cannabis usually took on the name of the seller instead of the name the original breeder gave to it. There was no saying I want some “Girl Scout Cookies” or “Skywalker OG”.
Then came the rise of dispensaries in the 2000’s. Dispensaries did not become officially legal in Oregon until 2013, but they have been in existence here and all over the West Coast for many years. Zoom forward to today, and you can buy cannabis in several states with no other requirements other than cash and a valid I.D. showing that you are at least 21 years old. You can have adult-use cannabis delivered straight to your home in places like Portland, Oregon, and as of today, you can purchase adult-use cannabis in Las Vegas without having to even get out of your car. Per the Las Vegas Sun:
Marijuana shoppers in the Las Vegas Valley will now be able to order their weed like they do fast food, thanks to Nevada’s first pot drive-thru set to open today.
Nuwu Cannabis Marketplace, located on tribal land on 1235 Paiute Circle near downtown Las Vegas, will open the one-lane drive-thru to the public at noon. Designed for elderly and handicapped customers who’d prefer not to leave their vehicles, the drive-thru service will offer about 15 popular flower, edible and concentrate products.
The drive-thru offers a limited menu of popular items, while those who order online and pick it up at the window can choose from the full 700-item menu. The store hopes to process most transactions in 60 to 90 seconds, Clock said.
But as with all recreational marijuana shops, there are strict rules for the drive-thru.
Every person in the car must be 21 and will have their IDs checked.
A cannabis drive-thru is not a new thing in America. The first cannabis drive-thru opened in Parachute earlier this year. But what is unique about the Las Vegas drive-thru is that it is the type of adult-use consumer experience that people tend to picture in their minds when they think of a cannabis drive thru. Whereas the Parachute drive-thru is a converted car wash structure that keeps the transaction completely out of public view, the Las Vegas drive-thru involves a bank teller type window.
I am not sure if the drive-thru area is fenced off to keep the transaction out of public view or not, but I will find out next time I am in Las Vegas because I am DEFINITELY making a purchase myself. For the record there is another dispensary in Arizona that has a similar drive-thru window model, but it is only for medical patients, not adult-use customers.
