Nevada has legalized recreational marijuana, but it's still not OK for tens of thousands of Burning Man fans to light up this year.
Voters in the state passed a marijuana legalization measure in 2016, and sales began at retail stores on July 1.
But consumption is allowed only in private and even possession remains illegal on federal lands, including the stretch of Black Rock Desert managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management where the festival began Sunday and continues through the weekend about 161 kilometres north of Reno.
BLM officials say a pot possession arrest can result in a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. But federal agents made no arrests for any crimes last year at Burning Man, or the year before.
This year, authorities will follow state law letting people possess up to one 1 ounce (28 grams) of pot. Discovery of more than an ounce of marijuana or more than an eighth-ounce of marijuana concentrate can result in a citation or arrest.
"If they show up with a hay bale of marijuana, it's definitely going to be more than a citation. It's going to be up to the discretion of the officer," Sheriff Jerry Allen said.