One of the significant concerns regarding recreational marijuana being available for sale in Nevada is child safety.
As one of several education campaigns launched in Nevada since retail sales began July 1, the Nevada Dispensary Association's Good to Know Nevada website looks specifically at youth prevention, among other pertinent information about marijuana use in the Silver State.
"There's always been regulations in place, even for medical marijuana, restricting what kind of packaging products can be in and making sure that they leave in opaque, child resistant packages," said Riana Durrett, Nevada Dispensary Association executive director. "But in addition to that, now that recreational has come online, there are additional restrictions on what can be on the packaging, what's on the labeling, how it leaves the store."
Edibles can't be in the shape of a fruit or cartoon or really anything that could be appealing to children.
"There's also advertising restrictions. Of course, no marketing to children in advertising," Durrett said. "There's no advertising in mediums that have a youth viewership over 30 percent. Each advertisement needs to contain the words that marijuana is only for adults over 21 and keep out the reach of children."
In addition to the child resistant packaging, dispensaries are required to offer for sale locking devices.
Good to Know Nevada also provides information on talking to children about marijuana.
"Have a realistic conversation with your kids about the impacts to distinguish between the effects on children and adults," Durrett said. "Let them know that yes, now this is legal in this state for adults but the reason it's legal is that adults' brains are fully developed and children aren't. It will have a different impact on your brain than on an adult."
In addition to child safety measures, the site includes information on what is legal versus illegal, edible safety, where to legally purchase and other resources.
The website was based off Colorado's own Good to Know campaign after marijuana was legalized in that state. The hope was to get education started in the beginning of legalization, rather than playing catch up.
"That was something that they didn't address in the beginning and they strongly advised our regulators and lawmakers, start at the beginning with providing public education and awareness on marijuana," Durrett said.
13 Action News received permission to use images from the GoodtoKnowNV.com website.
