The West Wendover city council was again very divided at last Tuesday meeting of April 17th, and voted to reject an ordinance who would include recreational marijuana sales, 3 to 2. The two city councilman and woman for recreational Marijuana sales, after the medical marijuana would be well and running, were almost not there. Councilman Izzy Gutierrez complained that he was in Reno at a league of cities meetings and had to hurry back to Wendover after the recreational Marijuana was put on the agenda at the last minute, and Jesse Holm was away too, but attended via phone and computer. Councilman Gutierrez said in between the lines that it was suspicious to him that it was back on the agenda while him and Councilwoman Holm were away.
The West Wendover Casinos, the Wendover major industry, is against recreational marijuana as it might deterre gambling customers. Recreational marijuana, just like the majority of people who took the stand at the meeting voiced, might bring in more crime, more beggers and homeless, more addicts to the area and might have a bad side effect on the gambling resorts. And even if this is all true and bad for the locals and the local youth, we cannot ignore the fact that the three councilmen voting NO to recreational marijuana, Jerry Anderson, John Hanson and Nick Flores are also working for the Casino industry.
It was noted in the meeting, that even if West Wendover voters approved recreational marijuana in 2016, it was a 392 vote Yeses against 386 Noes, pretty close call. And that 1,300 registered voters abstained from voting.
Last year the city council voted for medical marijuana in West Wendover, with the possibility to include recreational marijuana in the town future.
Deep Roots Harvest, the now only marijuana licensee in Wendover, told the city council their resolve to provide medical marijuana. But they had concerns about the town not sure of recreational marijuana sales. Neil Tomlinson, Deep Roots Harvest’s attorney, told the council “That window may close and it may never open again.”
Mayor Corona called for a recess, and used part of the recess to talk to the city attorney, before going back. During the recess, Deep Roots Harvest declined to comment on their future plans.
When the council and the Mayor reconvened to resume the meeting, after 8:30 p.m. and most of the audience and all interested parties were gone, the mayor vetoed the council decision. It took the council and the few left in the audience by surprise. After all the drama of the last few months and the evening, nothing was resolved. The Mayor said : “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to use this,” he told the crowd, announcing his veto of the council’s vote. But he did this to leave the door open to possibly reintroduce recreational marijuana issue in the future. He also told the council he was sorry they felt he pushed hard, and he was going to back up and let them reflect on it further. “I wanted to leave that door open, if they want to bring it back(the issue of recreational marijuana).
