Rural Nevada is eyeing a new cash crop.

They’ll just need to get past the state’s cannabis regulators first.

White Pine County on Tuesday petitioned the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board to change the state’s marijuana regulations to let individual counties request a limited licensing window for businesses looking to obtain a marijuana business license within the county.

For White Pine, the petition signals a changing of the tune for the once cannabis-hesitant county. Years after imposing a moratorium on marijuana businesses, the county is now looking to capitalize on the state’s thriving marijuana industry and says that not having any licensed cannabis businesses is hurting the the county’s ability diversify its economy as it tries to expand beyond the traditional rural revenue streams of farming, ranching and mining.

“The lack of cannabis licenses is creating direct and tangible harm in White Pine County,” White Pine County Manager Mark Wheable wrote in the petition to the board dated Feb. 7.

But the board was resistant to White Pine’s request and denied the petition Tuesday. Compliance Board Chairman Michael Douglas said that the board needs “to do homework on this issue” and left the door open for the county to bring another petition in the future.

Like several other rural counties in Nevada, White Pine placed a moratorium on cannabis licensing in 2014. That moratorium lasted until the White Pine County Commission in October approved a new…

Rural Nevada is eyeing a new cash crop.

They’ll just need to get past the state’s cannabis regulators first.

White Pine County on Tuesday petitioned the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board to change the state’s marijuana regulations to let individual counties request a limited licensing window for businesses looking to obtain a marijuana business license within the county.

For White Pine, the petition signals a changing of the tune for the once cannabis-hesitant county. Years after imposing a moratorium on marijuana businesses, the county is now looking to capitalize on the state’s thriving marijuana industry and says that not having any licensed cannabis businesses is hurting the the county’s ability diversify its economy as it tries to expand beyond the traditional rural revenue streams of farming, ranching and mining.

“The lack of cannabis licenses is creating direct and tangible harm in White Pine County,” White Pine County Manager Mark Wheable wrote in the petition to the board dated Feb. 7.

But the board was resistant to White Pine’s request and denied the petition Tuesday. Compliance Board Chairman Michael Douglas said that the board needs “to do homework on this issue” and left the door open for the county to bring another petition in the future.

Like several other rural counties in Nevada, White Pine placed a moratorium on cannabis licensing in 2014. That moratorium lasted until the White Pine County Commission in October approved a new…