{"id":231155,"date":"2022-09-09T13:05:17","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T18:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=231155"},"modified":"2022-09-09T14:50:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T19:50:36","slug":"biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/","title":{"rendered":"Biloxi City Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">A Biloxi casino has won over local city officials in its thinking that Mississippi&#8217;s forthcoming medical cannabis industry shouldn&#8217;t be allowed to open dispensaries near the beachfront resorts.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_231161\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-231161\" data-style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-231161\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg\" alt=\"Biloxi casino Beau Rivage Mississippi marijuana\" width=\"1200\" height=\"772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM-858x552.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM-430x277.jpg 430w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption  id=\"caption-attachment-231161\"class=\"text-description\">The owner of Fill-Up with Billups restaurant across from the Beau Rivage Resort &amp; Casino in Biloxi, Ms., wants to replace the diner with a medical cannabis dispensary. But MGM Resorts says marijuana businesses shouldn&#8217;t be allowed near its casino. (Image: Fill-Up with Billups)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\">Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed the state&#8217;s Medical Cannabis Act into law in February. The statute allows individuals diagnosed with certain medical conditions to receive medical marijuana from a licensed cannabis dispensary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout\">\n<p class=\"p1\">The Mississippi Department of Revenue and Department of Health are handling dispensary applications and the issuance of licenses. To date, 10 businesses in Harrison County, home to Biloxi, have received cannabis dispensing privileges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">Along with the state agencies, applicants must receive local approval before opening a medical cannabis dispensary. One such applicant sought to open a marijuana facility directly across from MGM Resorts&#8217; Beau Rivage Resort &amp; Casino. The Biloxi City Council this week rejected that location after fielding opposition from the gaming property.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><b>Casinos and Cannabis Don&#8217;t Mix<\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Commercial casinos are required to adhere to all federal laws. And with cannabis remaining a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/marijuana-reclassification-odds-remain-long-senate-opposition\/\">Schedule 1 narcotic on the federal level<\/a>, casinos must stay far away from the expansion of legal marijuana use and states&#8217; decriminalization of the plant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The Gulf Coast is where the bulk of the Mississippi gaming industry&#8217;s annual revenue is realized. Of the nearly $2.67 billion won last year by the 26 casinos in the state, the 11 coastal casinos accounted for $1.6 billion of the money.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Beau Rivage is the Gulf Coast leader, and property Vice President and General Counsel Anthony DelVescovo says legal marijuana sales shouldn&#8217;t be permitted in such close proximity to the MGM casino. Speaking before the Biloxi City Council this week, the MGM official urged the local government to keep medical cannabis dispensaries further away from the resorts.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"main-blockquote\">\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>We do believe they [medical cannabis dispensaries] belong in certain areas,&#8221;<\/strong> DelVescovo said. But one of those areas, he explained, isn&#8217;t right in front of the Beau Rivage.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\">Local Biloxi businessman and restauranteur Field Nicaud is seeking to enter the state cannabis industry.\u00a0 He wants to institute a medical dispensary on property he owns across Beach Boulevard from Beau Rivage. Nicaud currently runs the Fill-Up with Billups restaurant on the property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">MGM opposed the location of the proposed dispensary, since it&#8217;s directly across from its casino and adjacent to MGM Park, home of the Biloxi Shuckers Minor League Baseball team. DelVescovo told the council that the ballpark is family-oriented, and persistent smells of cannabis would be a detriment to the experience.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><b>MGM Touts Community Importance<\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Beau Rivage is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/beau-rivage-casino-resuming-hotel-renovation-postponed-pandemic\/\">Biloxi&#8217;s largest employer<\/a> and largest taxpayer. MGM says its impact extends far beyond its resort walls. DelVescovo told the council that MGM spends $40 million to $50 million a year on marketing Mississippi&#8217;s Gulf Coast to travelers across the southern states.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout\">\n<p class=\"p1\">Donovan Scruggs, an attorney representing Nicaud, believes MGM successfully used scare tactics to win over the Biloxi City Council. Scruggs said the state&#8217;s medical marijuana program prohibits public consumption, meaning those worries regarding cannabis odors don&#8217;t carry weight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">State lawmakers would need to pass additional laws in order to allow medical marijuana participants to consume their legal purchases anywhere other than in their private residences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Biloxi casino has won over local city officials in its thinking that Mississippi&#8217;s forthcoming medical cannabis industry shouldn&#8217;t be allowed to open dispensaries near the beachfront resorts. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed the state&#8217;s Medical Cannabis Act into law in February. The statute allows individuals diagnosed with certain medical conditions to receive medical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":231161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,13592],"tags":[82746,82117,82122],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Biloxi Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Biloxi casino has won over city officials in its thinking that Mississippi&#039;s medical cannabis industry shouldn&#039;t be allowed near casinos.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Biloxi Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Biloxi casino has won over city officials in its thinking that Mississippi&#039;s medical cannabis industry shouldn&#039;t be allowed near casinos.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-09-09T18:05:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-09-09T19:50:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"772\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Devin O&#039;Connor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@CasinoorgDevinO\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Devin O&#039;Connor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/\",\"name\":\"Biloxi Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-09T18:05:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-09-09T19:50:36+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/02b4fee8814a4003903b0021bffb4ebf\"},\"description\":\"A Biloxi casino has won over city officials in its thinking that Mississippi's medical cannabis industry shouldn't be allowed near casinos.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":772,\"caption\":\"The owner of Fill-Up with Billups restaurant across from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Ms., wants to replace the diner with a medical cannabis dispensary. But MGM Resorts says marijuana businesses shouldn't be allowed near its casino. (Image: Fill-Up with Billups)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Regulation\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/regulation\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Biloxi City Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Casino.org\",\"description\":\"Latest Casino and Gaming News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/02b4fee8814a4003903b0021bffb4ebf\",\"name\":\"Devin O'Connor\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-4-1-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-4-1-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Devin O'Connor\"},\"description\":\"Devin O'Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, entertainment and gaming news on the East Coast. Devin's passion for politics and background in the world of pop culture television gives him insight into the gaming industry backstories that often drive news these days. After graduating from Penn State University with a theater arts degree, he worked at MTV Networks\/Viacom from 2005 to 2010 as a writer and producer. His credits included Total Request Live, New Year's Eve specials, and a special featuring poker superstar Daniel Negreanu. He later moved on to the HGTV\/DIY Network, where he created, wrote, and produced three series specials: That's So House Hunters, That's So 80s, and That's So 90s. Devin came on board with Casino.org in 2014. He lives in Pennsylvania and is an avid marathoner, having completed 15 races. Contact Devin at devin.oconnor@casino.org.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/devinoconnor\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/CasinoorgDevinO\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/author\/devin-oconnor\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Biloxi Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage","description":"A Biloxi casino has won over city officials in its thinking that Mississippi's medical cannabis industry shouldn't be allowed near casinos.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Biloxi Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage","og_description":"A Biloxi casino has won over city officials in its thinking that Mississippi's medical cannabis industry shouldn't be allowed near casinos.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/","og_site_name":"Casino.org","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews","article_published_time":"2022-09-09T18:05:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-09-09T19:50:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":772,"url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Devin O'Connor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@CasinoorgDevinO","twitter_site":"@Casino_Org","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Devin O'Connor","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/","name":"Biloxi Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg","datePublished":"2022-09-09T18:05:17+00:00","dateModified":"2022-09-09T19:50:36+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/02b4fee8814a4003903b0021bffb4ebf"},"description":"A Biloxi casino has won over city officials in its thinking that Mississippi's medical cannabis industry shouldn't be allowed near casinos.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-09-at-1.51.15-PM.jpg","width":1200,"height":772,"caption":"The owner of Fill-Up with Billups restaurant across from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Ms., wants to replace the diner with a medical cannabis dispensary. But MGM Resorts says marijuana businesses shouldn't be allowed near its casino. (Image: Fill-Up with Billups)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/biloxi-rejects-medical-cannabis-dispensary-near-beau-rivage\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Regulation","item":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/regulation\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Biloxi City Council Rejects Medical Cannabis Dispensary Near Beau Rivage"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/","name":"Casino.org","description":"Latest Casino and Gaming News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/02b4fee8814a4003903b0021bffb4ebf","name":"Devin O'Connor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-4-1-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-4-1-96x96.png","caption":"Devin O'Connor"},"description":"Devin O'Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, entertainment and gaming news on the East Coast. Devin's passion for politics and background in the world of pop culture television gives him insight into the gaming industry backstories that often drive news these days. After graduating from Penn State University with a theater arts degree, he worked at MTV Networks\/Viacom from 2005 to 2010 as a writer and producer. His credits included Total Request Live, New Year's Eve specials, and a special featuring poker superstar Daniel Negreanu. He later moved on to the HGTV\/DIY Network, where he created, wrote, and produced three series specials: That's So House Hunters, That's So 80s, and That's So 90s. Devin came on board with Casino.org in 2014. He lives in Pennsylvania and is an avid marathoner, having completed 15 races. Contact Devin at devin.oconnor@casino.org.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/devinoconnor\/","https:\/\/x.com\/CasinoorgDevinO"],"url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/author\/devin-oconnor\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231155"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}