From criminal justice reform to a new Cannabis Compliance Board, new laws take effect in Nevada on July 1

Laws implementing a wide range of criminal justice reforms, establishing a state board responsible for regulating marijuana and creating a payday loan database finally take effect Wednesday, more than a year after the 2019 legislative session ended.

Another bill, which will raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2024, technically took effect on July 1, 2019, though the first wage increase kicks in on Wednesday.

Other bills that take effect Wednesday aim to reduce workplace violence in hospitals and psychiatric hospitals, establish new provisions regarding the regulation and labeling of hemp products and raise the GPA requirement for the Millennium Scholarship.

AB533: Cannabis Compliance Board

This new law transfers most of the responsibilities of marijuana regulation starting Wednesday to a new, five-person Cannabis Compliance Board, modeled off of the Gaming Control Board. The board will now be responsible for the law enforcement, regulation and compliance duties that previously fell under the Department of Taxation. 

Members of the board are not allowed to have a financial interest in the marijuana industry but can consult with an advisory board that can include industry members. The board is expected to approve regulations later this month that enshrine changes how the board will regulate marijuana differently than the tax agency, including increasing penalties for certain violations and simplifying the license renewal process.

SB209: Testing and labeling of hemp products

One part of this new law regulating hemp, sponsored by state Sen. Dallas Harris, takes effect Wednesday. The new law authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt regulations relating to the testing and labeling of hemp products and other products containing CBD intended for human consumption. 

The law then bars people from selling products made using industrial hemp and intended for human consumption unless the product satisfies the testing and labeling requirements put forward by the department.