Have you ever heard the phrases “medical marijuana,” “medical cannabis,” “recreational cannabis,” or “adult-use cannabis” and wondered about what makes them different? Are there specific cannabis plants for medical use and others for recreational use?
Not exactly. These words are used mainly to describe both the primary reasons cannabis users are buying cannabis and the laws and regulations surrounding them. At Green, we want all of our customers to be as informed as possible about how cannabis laws work within the state of Nevada—particularly when using cannabis in Las Vegas.
Here’s everything you need to know about the difference between medical cannabis and recreational cannabis.
Brief History of Cannabis Legalization
The very first legal uses for cannabis were medicinal— if you had proper documentation from a doctor saying that you needed cannabis to help treat symptoms or a condition, you could then take that permission to a medical dispensary and receive your cannabis.
Even then, medical cannabis wasn’t legal until the mid-90s— and only in California. Slowly, other states began to follow. There was still a stigma surrounding cannabis as a form of recreation, and possessing it without a certified medical reason could result in significant jail-time. Slowly, more and more research seemed to show that recreational use of cannabis wasn’t the dangerous epidemic that it had been made out to be.
Still, it wasn’t until 2012 that Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize ‘recreational’ cannabis. Though medical marijuana has been permitted in Nevada since 2000, recreational use wouldn’t follow until November 1, 2017.
The Difference Between Medical and Recreational Cannabis
In Nevada, both medical and recreational cannabis is now legal. That means that anyone aged 21 and up can visit a cannabis dispensary and purchase up to the legal amount of cannabis without requiring medical authorization.
When it comes to medical use, legal possession amounts are less than 2.5 ounces. There are also other differences in regulation. For example, some patients aged 18 and up can access medical cannabis with proper authorization, versus 21+ for recreational use.
There are no specific ‘medical’ strains of cannabis and ‘recreational’ strains. It all depends on what you want. If you’re looking to experience a euphoric high, you may want to choose a strain that’s higher in THC. If you’re looking to reduce anxiety, improve sleep, or treat chronic soreness without getting a high, a more CBD-dominant strain may be right. You can even get both out of your cannabis experience— a pleasing high and the medical benefits you love.
What This Means for You
In Las Vegas and the state of Nevada, you don’t need a medical card to purchase cannabis as long as you’re at least 21 years old. That said, if you have a medical condition that requires a higher amount of cannabis, or you’re 18-20 years old, you may still want to seek out a medical cannabis card which can be obtained from various doctors around Las Vegas and Nevada.
Want to access recreational cannabis in Las Vegas? Check out Green and browse our menu for pick-up or delivery orders now.
