A Carson City District judge has granted a preliminary injunction for licensed liquor distributors to be the only recreational marijuana distributors in the State of Nevada.

Judge James Wilson issued the ruling on Tuesday, siding with independent alcohol distributors in their case against the Nevada Department of Taxation.

Under this injunction, the state is barred from issuing marijuana distribution licenses to anyone other than licensed liquor dealers for at least 18 months.

For eager residents, this means there may be a delay to the expected start date for recreational marijuana sales to begin July 1st. 

We were able to catch up with Republican Senator, Ben Kieckhefer to discuss the issue. He had this to say, "I don't think it's really a party-based issue, I think this is something the voters approved and it's the state's responsibility to carry it out and this is part of that process."

While Nevada's marijuana regulators are determined to sell recreational pot by July 1st, it's unsure that it will happen. This is because the judge's ruling makes it so that already existing medical dispensaries cannot apply for distribution licenses. 

As for the five liquor wholesalers who have already applied for those licenses, the Department of Taxation says their applications are incomplete and that so far, they have not proven they're legally qualified for the job. 

While the official start date for recreational marijuana sales now hangs in limbo, both liquor wholesalers and the Department of Taxation say they are committed to ensure the voters do get what they voted for, by July 1st.

Judge Wilson had temporarily halted all licensing after a group of alcohol wholesalers filed a lawsuit claiming they have exclusive rights to pot distribution licenses.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story)