The marijuana distribution landscape in Nevada is backed by a tightly regulated, multi-tiered system. Under state law, businesses must hold specific licenses from the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB): cultivation, production, testing, distribution, or retail. Each license represents a distinct stage in the supply chain, with strict rules to ensure safety, traceability, and compliance.

At the wholesale level, licensed distributors serve as the bridge between cultivation facilities and retail dispensaries. While exact counts of distribution licenses are not publicly aggregated, all wholesale shipment of cannabis must pass through licensed distributors, ensuring oversight and regulatory compliance.

City-Level Distribution: Las Vegas

Las Vegas leads the state not only in tourism but also in cannabis sales. The city is home to over 100 licensed retailers — such as Planet 13, Curaleaf, Cookies, and Nevada Made — many offering delivery options.

One prominent example, Planet 13 Las Vegas, integrates distribution with a 40,000-square-foot superstore and entertainment complex, drawing approximately 3,575 customers daily. Distributors supply these major retail outlets, along with smaller local operators. Nevada’s regulations mandate that all cannabis distribution be handled by licensed entities, ensuring products undergo testing and tracking before reaching dispensaries.

City-Level Distribution: Reno

Reno, the second-largest cannabis market in the state, hosts more than a dozen retail outlets like Curaleaf, The Dispensary, and High Sierra Holistics. Washoe County, which includes Reno, accounts for a significant share of statewide cannabis sales, second only to Clark County.

Distribution to Reno stores follows the same licensed-operator model. Several cultivation and production sites are located in Northern Nevada, ensuring a local supply chain that supports regional dispensaries.

Customer Base

Nevada’s diverse customer base includes in-state recreational users, medical patients, and tourists. Tourists, particularly in Las Vegas, represent an estimated 50–60% of retail cannabis patrons. Meanwhile, Reno and other Northern Nevada markets serve a mix of locals and travelers.

Medical marijuana remains significant—though recreational use now dominates—especially among patients with qualifying medical conditions. As of early 2016, approximately 9,500 patients held medical cannabis cards statewide, with 6,700 located in Clark County.

Regulatory Framework and Market Dynamics

Nevada’s regulatory framework is overseen by the CCB, which maintains the licenses for the various business categories and regulates consumption lounges allowed since 2021. While licensed lounges are few, one lounge, Smoke and Mirrors in Las Vegas, closed in spring 2025 due to high costs, leaving Planet 13’s Dazed Lounge as the sole state-licensed consumption venue.

Furthermore, in June 2023, Nevada adopted legislation that increased possession limits and simplified licensing by merging medical and recreational licenses, bolstering distribution efficiency statewide.

Overall, Nevada’s cannabis distribution industry reflects a carefully structured supply chain. Cultivators and producers supply licensed distributors, who in turn serve a wide array of retail outlets across major cities like Las Vegas and Reno. The regulatory oversight by the CCB, combined with tourist-driven demand and licensing reforms, continues to shape a mature and evolving market.

Discover More: How to Launch a Career in Nevada’s Marijuana Distribution Industry