Las Vegas Review Journal – Like much of Nevada, the casino industry is grappling with issues surrounding medical marijuana. So much so that gaming companies and regulators have had little to say publicly about doctor-prescribed pot.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Nevada since 2000, but it took state lawmakers 14 years to allow dispensaries to operate. Now, with a state law in place calling for up to 66 potential medical marijuana outlets throughout Nevada, the issue is finding its way into gaming headquarters.

No one has suggested Nevada casinos offer medical marijuana dispensaries as part of their retail amenities. Online gaming has fueled heated debate. Imagine the discussions around this issue?

The Gaming Control Board is developing a list of questions and concerns when its comes to medical marijuana.

But those talks are nothing compared to the ongoing discussions inside hotel-casino human resources departments and among the corporate office general counsels.

The list of questions grows by the day. For gaming operations with thousands of employees, there are issues surrounding new hires and existing workers, many of whom with job descriptions that require drug screenings.

For example, what to do with an employee who is prescribed medical marijuana by a physician, and would fail a drug test by ingesting the medicine?

And what about hotel-casino guests?

Is medical marijuana treated like any other prescription medication? Would they violate state law by consuming the drug in their hotel room?

“This new and very complex issue brings difficult questions on many fronts for us as Nevada’s largest private employer,” MGM Resorts International Vice President of Public Affairs Gordon Absher said. The company has 54,000 workers in its 17 Silver State hotel-casinos.

“Along with every other employer, we will continue to evaluate the implications of the state law as we review our policies,” Absher said.

Gaming regulators have already taken one stand.

FULL STORY