Layke Martin expects this to be a busy year for the Nevada Dispensary Association, a nonprofit trade group that represents the majority of cannabis retailers in Nevada. Since joining the group as its executive director in September 2020, she’s been focusing on the upcoming legislative session.
“Our state legislature meets once every two years for 120 days, so that’s our priority this spring,” she says, adding, “This summer we will produce an Economic Impact Report which analyzes the economic benefits that the cannabis industry brings to Nevada, from tax revenue to jobs.”
Beyond her role in the cannabis industry, Martin is an attorney and a UNLV professor and serves on the board of a nonprofit organization that recruits women to run for elected office. The native Nevadan is also a mother of three young children — including 3-year-old twins — and is currently doing a 200-hour yoga teacher training.
Prior to joining the NDA, she was the assistant dean for external relations at the UNLV School of Law.
She says she plans to draw on her educational background to further expand the educational resources and trainings offered by the NDA.
“This is such a fascinating area of law and policy,” she says. “There is never a dull moment.”
— Brian Beckley