JACKPOT, NV — Monday marked the grand opening of the brand new marijuana dispensary in Jackpot, Thrive Cannabis Marketplace.
Having been in the works for quite some time, there is shared excitement between management, staff, and local community members who are eager to see how this new addition impacts their town.
“I’m really excited just to see the growth of the city," said Makinzey Marracco, the Operations Manager for Thrive Cannabis Marketplace. "And just continue to foster the relationship with the locals and the impacts that we can help make in the community as well.”
Jackpot has faced an extremely tough year from COVID-19. With the casinos closed, people couldn't find work, and tourists were not visiting the area. The managers of Thrive Cannabis Marketplace hope this can help bring back a boost to the local economy. They're also seeking out becoming a permanent part of this community.
“About 70% of our staff is from Jackpot," said Marracco. "So, our management, they all live locally, so that’s another great part is really having people that are really engrained in this place.”
Right now, the management and staff are working to iron out the kinks. Once they settle in, they hope to eventually help out in other ways, such as food and toy drives during the holidays.
A large goal for the dispensary is to once again attract people to visit the area from surrounding states and communities. This has sparked some concern from the Twin Falls County Sheriff since there is the potential for impaired drivers.
“The concerns that I would have is obvious," said Tom Carter, the Twin Falls County sheriff. "Driving patterns, that’s always a problem. However, it’s my understanding that in other areas, there wasn’t a great big uptick in DUI’s.”
While there has been no direct order to increase patrols in that region, deputies will most likely be keeping an extra eye on that area.
“I sent a couple of deputies to what they call a Drug Recognition Expert School that allows them to determine whether or not somebody that has a poor driving pattern is under the influence of Marijuana,” said Carter.
Since there is that risk, the dispensary is also taking steps to promote safety.
“We do everything in our power to ensure that people are very clear on the laws and regulations," said Marracco. "We have them printed, we verbally disclose them between our customers and we really encourage people to only consume safely and legally. Of course, that's within the Nevada state lines.”
Thrive Cannabis Marketplace is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The interior will be open from 8 a.m. to midnight, and afterward, people can only purchase via the businesses drive-through.
