[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6619938,"mediaKeyId","2825876-cabe6521cdcd320e69c02691c0edba7f","parentId",2825876,"title","Assembly Judiciary hears bill to curb deceptive hemp shops that mimic cannabis dispensaries","audioSeconds",1568,"startMs",950000,"endMs",2518000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2825876-cabe6521cdcd320e69c02691c0edba7f&start=950&end=2518","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2825876-cabe6521cdcd320e69c02691c0edba7f/thumbnail_950000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6619938/Nevada/Assembly-Judiciary-hears-bill-to-curb-deceptive-hemp-shops-that-mimic-cannabis-dispensaries","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619938-35ce8253617e13831527ffefe76b0532/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569604&Signature=OG6K3FtQQHuLKioDndrqJC1-UVPUYoDq-YO6kWe0jyv1wJ0IhDe5ceD4ZGXlnUrycSZBngZy~2GeQ70llFCuIUtx~qq2Zr-MHMYAI2DCNV1dnZ3MqwSm6tbM8NBeMOmQgn1SHF5nE3OGX1WXDD3wrdC2yltKZJN5hdxMwzkMPXCHqoW9S7OazsQvNMwFFYe07nx~C7Mni0qaTRRHFQSZLXL-H~Ag1eqs6zpgXZiOCVXAatfhLKlEo6BmM3Lx1z1v3Kj-qXuOa8ohwAzMVQ8HmUfgPwVrukT~e8Zbg7IeD9DpkVOUSdlFbOIcr-TqMyWCWmRWZfXUtR2iodYwXvqKUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada Legislature","date","2025-03-31T17:53:43.077Z","article","The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard Assembly Bill 504, introduced by Assemblymember Joe Dalia, which would make certain deceptive trade practices unlawful for businesses that sell or offer to sell hemp products and that present themselves as licensed cannabis dispensaries.

Supporters told the committee the bill targets establishments along the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street that they say intentionally mimic licensed dispensaries and lure tourists and other customers to buy untested hemp products. Assemblymember Joe Dalia said the measure is intended to \"protect consumers, our tourism industry, and our licensed cannabis dispensaries.\" He described shops that display hemp leaves, sell hemp buds that “appear and smell indistinguishable from cannabis,” or use aggressive staff to suggest customers can buy intoxicating cannabis there.

The bill, as presented, would require signage at affected locations indicating the site \"does not hold a cannabis establishment license,\" prohibit false advertising about the nature of the location or the products, and designate those practices as deceptive trade practices under NRS 598.0903 to 598.0999. Two amendments were offered during the hearing: one tightened the bill's definitions and examples of deceptive practices; a second delegated the precise signage language, dimensions and color-contrast specifications to the applicable regulatory body.

James Humm, identified in testimony as executive director of the Cannabis Compliance Board, described enforcement as primarily routed through Nevada's consumer-protection framework and said the board has worked with local licensing departments and would partner with the attorney general's office when complaints are received. Humm told the committee enforcement would \"actually come through the Bureau of Consumer Protection under chapter 598, as written.\" He also said the Cannabis Compliance Board was neutral on the bill.

Business and industry witnesses testified in support. Drianna Dimatulac, representing Deep Roots Harvest, said \"Nevadans deserve full transparency when it comes to the products that they purchase and consume.\" Lake Martin of the Nevada Cannabis Association called \"fake dispensaries a huge problem,\" saying they sell either non-intoxicating hemp packaged to look like cannabis flower or potent, untested hemp-derived THC products. Representatives of Planet 13 and other regulated dispensaries urged the committee to pass AB 504 to protect public health and market integrity.

During questioning members asked how signage would look and who would enforce the rule. Assemblymember LaRue Hatch asked whether the shops would still be allowed to display hemp leaves; Dalia replied that the bill intentionally leaves precise signage standards to the regulatory body so it can set clear, legible language and visual standards. Assemblymember Cole asked whether the state would run an awareness campaign; enforcement and outreach were discussed as a partnership between the Cannabis Compliance Board, local licensing, and the attorney general's consumer-protection investigators.

Witnesses and the sponsor said the bill is narrowly aimed at establishments that misrepresent intoxicating products and sell untested items that can contain synthetic compounds or contaminants. Supporters repeatedly contrasted hemp (less than 0.3% delta-9 THC, as described in testimony) with regulated cannabis (often 15–20% THC) to explain the difference consumers should expect.

The committee took testimony in support, heard no opposition, and heard no callers on the phone lines. The sponsor waived final remarks and the chair closed the hearing on AB 504 without a committee vote. The sponsor and industry witnesses said they will work with the Cannabis Compliance Board and the attorney general's office on final signage language and any drafting adjustments.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3/31/2025 - Assembly Committee on Judiciary","oneSentenceSummary","The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard Assembly Bill 504, introduced by Assemblymember Joe Dalia, which would make certain deceptive trade practices unlawful for businesses that sell or offer to sell hemp products and that present themselves as licensed cannabis dispensaries.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NV, Nevada","taxId",78440,"location","Nevada","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6619933,"Assembly considers felony penalties and scrap rules to curb copper and utility-wire theft",3139,2478000,5617000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2825876-cabe6521cdcd320e69c02691c0edba7f&start=2478&end=5617","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2825876-cabe6521cdcd320e69c02691c0edba7f/thumbnail_2478000.jpg","/articles/6619933/Nevada/Assembly-considers-felony-penalties-and-scrap-rules-to-curb-copper-and-utility-wire-theft","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619933-231b42e0df870731e3aa3084b13ba151/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569604&Signature=l2XukiX2QVrEAb9tKKaIK9RyRA6H9Z9eX~MrB00CUr96wR5r1ob03PpWimTf01DIQAVJzmT6gI4FjuZPTXu1bfxY0tEuMWnHUpHOJHqzj9RrgI1DsBaD~eB0Iz~A1-9Kq1LY2VYoMSIUlbbK570xiN9TDmzPVml0ffj5HbjGc8t4He8-I6cizkPUXOkMYW7TKry1lezs5nd7r7LX3puuNhefTvvNB4A9cj36IRcbCXViQhzCUI1dpXH3Xy9~8ziQARW5z~TOpusqRwN5QTL~iD81Rudqkq01wScqJXUPb1xL2a6xgvNH99OnYXeL3PuO7aIuFgdLXOATQ59iVhOZeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard Assembly Bill 503, carried by Assemblymember Selena Torres Fawcett, a bill that would tighten criminal penalties and scrap-metal transaction rules to address theft and intentional tampering of utility wire and other critical infrastructure.

Assemblymember Selena Torres Fawcett told the committee the bill grew from an interim working group of local governments, law enforcement, utilities and scrap processors after repeated incidents in Southern Nevada. \"With the wrong set of circumstances, the consequences of copper wire theft can cause more than a disturbance to electricity in our household or disruption in access to Internet. It can also have life threatening consequences,\" she said, citing a February 2024 outage at Harry Reid International Airport and an earlier traffic-fatality case where stolen wiring left streetlights dark.

AB 503 would create a set of offenses for willfully moving, damaging, destroying or possessing used utility wire without proper authorization; require that scrap metal processors keep electronic records and limit methods of payment; and prohibit purchases of used utility wire except from specified authorized sellers or with lawful documentation. The sponsor described tiered penalties tied to the value of property affected and to whether the act caused an interruption of service: misdemeanors for losses under $500, a category D felony for losses of $500 or more, and a category 2 felony when the act causes interruption of services (with fines cited in testimony up to $5,000 and $10,000 depending on the offense tier).

Witnesses representing utilities, telecommunications companies, law enforcement and local government strongly supported the bill. Chloe Chisholm of NV Energy said, \"Copper wire theft is not a victimless crime,\" and offered outage statistics: NV Energy reported 19 outages in 2023 caused by copper theft and described the airport incident as disruptive to \"thousands of travelers.\" Joe Harrington of the Nevada Department of Transportation told the committee NDOT spends about $5,000,000 per biennium addressing copper theft on state rights-of-way.

Industry witnesses and scrap processors described ordinances already adopted in Clark County and several cities and said the bill builds on the catalytic-converter statute passed in the previous session. Warren Hardy, representing recycling industry groups, said the catalytic-converter law's approach to possession helped reduce that theft and that a similar possession-based offense for narrowly defined 7-strand utility wire would help enforcement. He described a practical enforcement model in which processors collect identification, record transactions, notify law enforcement of suspicious transactions, and refuse cash payments over statutory limits.

An amendment discussed at the hearing would expand the bill's definition to cover \"critical infrastructure property\" and to add telecommunication and broadband services, fiber and wireless service components. Shelley Caparo, representing Charter Communications / Spectrum, asked that the definition expressly include video service, broadband, telecommunications services, fiber, wireless telephone service and utility services such as natural gas, water and sewer; Caparo also asked the bill be explicit that tampering with infrastructure (not only outright theft) be covered because some incidents are destructive rather than value-driven.

Prosecutors, sheriffs and municipal governments supported the measure. Testimony included detailed local damage figures: Clark County reported more than 650,000 linear feet of copper wire stolen from county streetlights across 850 locations from January 2022 to January 2025, with repair costs the county estimated at roughly $1.8 million to $2.1 million for remaining sites; other witnesses described city- and county-level ordinances requiring affidavits, identification, and recordkeeping for scrap sales.

Public defenders asked the sponsor and stakeholders to continue working on the draft. Paloma Guerrero of the Clark County Public Defender's Office and Angela Knott of the Washoe County Public Defender's Office said felony charges already can be applied in some cases under existing statutes and expressed concern about mens rea and possession-based offenses; they requested further drafting to avoid unintended consequences and questioned provisions that would mandate community service in addition to incarceration.

The committee heard substantial support and some requested clarifications. The sponsor and stakeholders said they will continue to work with public defenders and other stakeholders on exemptions for legitimate possession (for example, contractor employees who have employer authorization) and on aligning statutory recordkeeping with existing scrap-metal requirements. The hearing concluded with no committee vote; the sponsor indicated plans to refine the bill language and amendments for future committee action.

","Assembly Bill 503 would criminalize certain possession and sales of used utility wire, add recordkeeping requirements for scrap processors and create escalated penalties when damage causes service interruption; utilities, law enforcement and local governments testified in support while public defenders urged continued drafting work","actionData","errors"]

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Assembly Judiciary hears bill to curb deceptive hemp shops that mimic cannabis dispensaries

Assembly considers felony penalties and scrap rules to curb copper and utility-wire theft