Dallas Harris injects authenticity into leadership. The senator of Nevada District 11 says she leans on lived experience when creating laws that affect Nevadans’ everyday lives.

“I think that’s what we want all of our leaders to do, right?” she says. “Here in Nevada, we’ve got that citizen legislature. And the whole point is that you are a person who also goes to the grocery store and knows how much a gallon of milk costs, or bread, or whatever the standard food item that you want to use to measure inflation these days. You know what it’s like to be an average Nevadan.”

When Harris passed the “cannabis Christmas tree” bill in the 2023 legislative session, she had customers’ experience in mind. The bill increased the daily maximum amount of marijuana a person can purchase from one to 2.5 ounces. For people who want to take advantage of a sale or stock up, it certainly was a present.

“Just like if you want to have a Super Bowl party, and you went out and bought a keg, there’s nothing nefarious about that. We allow people to do that. And I think we should allow it here,” she says.

Harris’ pragmatic, constituent-centered approach translated to bills geared toward protecting Nevada’s LGBTQ communities and their rights. The proudly lesbian lawmaker chaired the first ever LGBTQ caucus in the state legislature in 2023, which managed to pass several bills strengthening protections for LGBTQ people.

For example, Harris sponsored a bill to modernize HIV treatment in the state and require prison operators to ensure access to treatment for inmates with HIV. The bill also mandates that medical insurance cover testing, treatment and preventive measures against STIs, and requires insurers to cover lab and diagnosis procedures and drugs aimed to prevent HIV.

“If you take a look at some of the LGBTQ legislation that was passed during the last legislative session, I think we can call that a success,” she says.

Harris took time out to talk to the Weekly about social equity in the cannabis industry and her No. 1 goal as a legislator.

You introduced the bill that increased the daily maximum amount of marijuana a person can purchase, removed restrictions barring people with past felony convictions from employment in the industry, and lowered licensing fees.

[That was] in order to make it a bit more customer friendly. Some people live very far from their nearest dispensary. Whatever the reason may be, it’s actually none of the government’s business. People should be free to be able to do that. If they want to have a party at home, as long as everybody’s of age … there’s nothing wrong with that.

Nevada has a program in the books that attempts to address social equity in the cannabis industry, but that program hasn’t really borne that out in consumption lounges. Although social equity licensees got their provisional licenses at the same time as retail licensees, many are having a hard time securing the capital needed to open an establishment that meets regulations. How do we begin to address this?

There are models across the country that I think Nevada could look at, in order to make our program better. I think there’s lots of things we could do to start to address this issue, but the very first thing we need to do is start paying attention to it and actually deciding we’re gonna put some effort, and frankly, some dollars behind it.

You chaired the Nevada Legislature’s first-ever LGBTQ caucus in 2023. What was that like?

The climate is calming down a little bit, I think because the abortion rights issue is hot and heavy at the moment. But if you remember, during the legislative session and leading up to it, there was a rash of anti LGBTQ bills across the country—a lot targeting drag shows and bathroom bills. And so it was really important that we got together and said, Hey, not here in Nevada. Nevada has done a great job with LGBTQ rights. We are one of the friendliest states. And it was really, really important to all of us that we came together and ensured that Nevada remains one of those friendliest states, and that we weren’t going to allow a backslide.

What do you hope to accomplish as a legislator? What’s your No. 1 goal?

I think the most impactful thing that I’ll do is actually just being here. I’m hoping that the real impact that I have is on one or two or three young Black children somewhere in Las Vegas who never thought they could maybe be in the state senate, or whatever else it may be that they want to pursue; and for them to now understand that they can because they’ve seen someone like me do it. That would be my biggest hope and dream.

I’ll end with a very serious question: What’s your favorite place to eat in your part of town?

The one I go to the most is a coffee shop. It’s called Rosallie Le French Cafe. The croissants are lovely. And obviously coffee. Coffee is always good.

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