cannabisnews.com: Move To Legalize Marijuana in Nevada Has a Chance 





Move To Legalize Marijuana in Nevada Has a Chance 
Posted by CN Staff on June 15, 2002 at 15:00:53 PT
By Jimmy Boegle 
Source: Las Vegas City Life 
Over the past few weeks, they've been seemingly everywhere - libraries, the DMV, meetings, etc. - with their petitions and pens. This small army of clipboard-holding minions, some paid and some volunteers, has one goal: The legalization of marijuana in Nevada.Not just medical marijuana - that's already legal as the result of a constitutional amendment overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1998 and 2000. This is the legalization of the use and possession of three ounces or less of marijuana by anybody 21 or older. 
In other words, it could be 4:20 in Nevada 24/7 if this amendment gets enough signatures to make the ballot, and is then approved by voters this year and in 2004.The folks behind this movement, a newly formed political action committee called Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, are being tight-lipped about their efforts. Gail Tuzzolo, a paid political consultant heading up the PAC, said the group is too focused on getting enough signatures right now to talk to the media. "We're sort of doing our news blackout," Tuzzolo said. "We're not talking to the press. We're working on getting all the signatures in."Bruce Mirken, the director of communications of the Marijuana Policy Project (the Washington, D.C.-based group behind Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement), was equally unhelpful."We're in the process of getting signatures," he said. "We'll have a lot to say when it gets on the ballot. ... We're not seeking coverage right now, because we're seeking signatures."In defense of these folks, they do have their hands full. By June 16, the group has to turn in at least 61,336 voters to the secretary of state - that's 10 percent of the total number of votes cast in the 2000 statewide election. Additionally, signatures representing 10 percent of the total of 2000 votes from 13 of the state's 17 counties must be included. The group has been collecting signatures since May 9. That's a lot of John Hancocks in a short amount of time, and the group estimates they'll need about 110,000 total signatures for enough of them to be valid.But whether or not they want coverage right now, they're getting it. And before they finally stopped talking to us, both Tuzzolo and Mirken said they were close to the necessary pace to reach their goal.So, what does this all mean? Let's break it down.The initiative, if successful, would amend the Nevada Constitution to say the following:-- That the use or possession of three ounces or less of weed by anybody 21 or older would not be a "cause for arrest, civil or criminal penalty, or seizure or forfeiture of assets." In other words, pot would be legal in the eyes of the state constitution.-- The state would have to develop "a system of regulation, designed to curb the unlawful production of marijuana, for the cultivation, taxation, sale, and distribution of marijuana ..."-- Advertising of pot would be illegal.-- Weed would be taxed similar to tobacco and cigarettes.-- It could not be used in cars or public places, and you could not be "driving dangerously" or operating heavy machinery while under the influence.Of course, marijuana would still be illegal under federal law, opening a very interesting can of worms.Before they got tight-lipped, Tuzzolo and others painted the petition primarily as something to help out medical marijuana users by instituting a system for distribution, and by making it so sick patients wouldn't need a doctor's permission to get the marijuana (many doctors have been weary to sign off on marijuana use, fearing the feds).The petition drive comes two years after voters approved medical marijuana, and just months after the 2001 Legislature chilled out what was one of the nation's toughest marijuana laws. Before, marijuana possession was a felony; now, in small amounts, it is simply a misdemeanor. All of this is very interesting, and it will become moot if the petitioners fail to get enough signatures. But should they succeed, here are some things to look out for:-- The buzz is that anti-Question 2 (The anti-gay "Protection of Marriage" Initiative, which will be on the ballot for a second and final time this year) forces may be looking at this as an equalizer. It's well-known that Question 2 exists, in part, because its right-wing supporters knew it would bring right-wing voters to the polls. Well, some proponents of the marijuana initiative hope that if it makes the ballot, it will have the same effect on left-wing voters. One flaw with this logic: In 2000, the medical marijuana initiative, which passed overwhelmingly, did not accomplish this. Nonetheless, for some, hope springs eternal.-- Why Nevada? The Marijuana Policy Project has been willing to pay $1 per signature and pay big bucks for a consultant to get this measure on the ballot. Sure, Nevada's relatively small size makes it easier to do this here than in, say, California. And it would set a nice precedent; if this ballot initiative passes muster, Nevada would become the first state to effectively give the finger to the feds in terms of marijuana laws. But beyond that, why choose Nevada for this groundbreaking move? (When asked this question point-blank, Mirken said he was not the one to talk to about this, and that he'd try to get someone else to talk to CityLife; nobody called back.)-- What are the consequences? Considering that George W. Bush and John Ashcroft are in office, what would they do to Nevada if this makes it through?It's all fun to speculate about, assuming the petition drive is successful. And that's a moderately big "if" at this point. Note: Nevada could become a pot smokers' haven on Jan. 1, 2005 if a current initiative petition is successful. Mark your calendars!Source: Las Vegas City Life (NV)Author: Jimmy Boegle Published: Saturday, June 15, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas City LifeContact: obrien lvpress.comWebsite: http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Organization Steps Up Petition Drive for Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13106.shtmlNevada Approves Bill on Medical Use of Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13029.shtmlCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #13 posted by moonrock on June 17, 2002 at 11:10:57 PT
staying in nevada
The GCW- i emailed a few of the hotels in Las Vegas and asked them about their reservation policy. i told them about how we would cancel if the law was passed, and i will post if they write me back! i hope it works out. 
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Comment #12 posted by dddd on June 16, 2002 at 00:03:57 PT
..It's True MikeEEEE
...If you have complete control over the people who occupy the real estate,,then you also have control of the real estate they occupy!....and if the empire needs real estate that is occupied by rebel terrorists,,then the rebel terrorists must be killed and "brought to justice",,so the real estate can be occupied by freedom!...freedom to exploit and control.......dddd
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Comment #11 posted by MikeEEEEE on June 15, 2002 at 21:52:45 PT
The past
dddd, in the past wars were mainly about obtaining real estate. Since nukes have made war very impractical I'm guessing now they're more about controlling the minds of the people.
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Comment #10 posted by dddd on June 15, 2002 at 21:19:17 PT
Right On MikeEEEEE
see:
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread13138.shtml#3  
....dddd
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Comment #9 posted by MikeEEEEE on June 15, 2002 at 20:54:10 PT
Corporate Media
dddd, the corporate controlled media might have something to say about this.http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0615-03.htm
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Comment #8 posted by dddd on June 15, 2002 at 19:49:19 PT
...YES!...
...New Casinos...."The Lucky 420"..."The Acopoulco Gold"...Free Marijuana for gamblers...
..If any state could do it,,Nevada could...After all,,Nevada was the,(I think),first and for a long time,the only state to have legalized gambling.....Can you imagine the money that could be made on legalized Marijuana!..Can you imagine how the feds would Freak out!...The feds will try to crush this before it even gets on the ballot!...If it does get on the ballot,,there will be many mysteriously funded campaigns to try and counter the measure,and an ad campaign to try and influence voters against it.......this is a goody!.....dddd
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on June 15, 2002 at 19:31:57 PT
The demise of the ignoid:
It may be that they didn't stop the computer.And they didn't stop us from voting.But most of all, they didn't stop the Bible.I've been mentioning this John 14-16 area thing for a while.Why?(inpart)Because it is a place to go for the Truth. Beyond what we say here...We can go to where the Truth came from.Listen to this.Titled: Oneness with the Father"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (That is Jesus words, and what did He do? He TOLD THE TRUTH)."Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. JESUS DID THE WORK OF TELLING THE TRUTH, and we can do that also, we can do it through and with Him, Right NOW.(So, if anyone wants to know the Truth, we have plenty of viewpoints, that make a lot of sense, they are sound, and credible. YOU CAN EVEN GO RIGHT TO THE SOURCE, YOUR SELF FOR THE TRUTH.))))Can You imagine when more people find out about really being able to go to the Lord God of Truth, and asking for his thoughts on this subject...The changes that will happen.The Green Collar Worker ------ Wants everyone to know they have access to the Truth, and it can help Our cause.The Green Collar WorkerA logical reason for the Lord to have given it psychoactive qualities, is that it makes one feel closer to God. It is an aid to communication with the Lord. The reason that people like to be "high" because it feels good to be closer to God. Most are not be aware however, that God is trying to communicate with them however, and just enjoy the high. I think this helps with some backround and perspective... (more) http://www.olywa.net/when/bible08.html PROHIBITION AND THE BIBLE You already contain things with in You that You know are perfect. Your reach is not far.
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Comment #6 posted by ekim on June 15, 2002 at 19:31:22 PT
yes they do GCW
 Chinese Hemp Industry has Boundless Potential 
Posted by FoM on November 05, 2001 at 09:01:46 PT
Business News 
Source: People's Daily As world fashion increasingly moves toward simplicity, comfort and health protection, experts point out that hemp, a major economic crop in China, could have great market prospects after the nation's entry into the World Trade Organization. 
Xia Jingyuan, a senior official with the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture in charge of the extension of agricultural technology, said that the annual output of Chinese linen is worth over 10 billion yuan (about 1.2 billion US dollars). According to Xia, the ongoing upgrading of China's agricultural industry has given Chinese hemp a great opportunity. Environmentally friendly, high value-added and versatile, Chinese hemp products could be a major money-maker in market both here and abroad, said Xia. For example, ramie, once used as forage, could provide a new type of vegetable protein for livestock and boost stockbreeding of southern China. Red hemp used in paper making could prevent the felling of forests while clothing made from hemp is particularly comfortable to wear and poses no health hazard. Being one of the earliest fabrics used in China, hemp's heyday can date back 4,000 years when only nobles and royal families could afford to wear finely spun linen while coarse linen were favored by commoners. The production technology of linen has undergone constant improvement. In 1984, the country made a breakthrough in the degumming technology, bringing worldwide attention to linen products. Analysts say that to establish a modern linen manufacturing and processing system with Chinese characteristics, China should double its efforts in scientific research and international cooperation, because each breakthrough in relevant technology will greatly boost the sector's upgrading.Source: People's Daily (China)
Published: Sunday, November 04, 2001
Copyright: People's Daily Online
Website: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/home.html
FB: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/other/feedback.html
 
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on June 15, 2002 at 19:05:47 PT
CHINA - AS AN UNTAPPED MARKET.
Doesn't China contain a lot of hemp users?Aren't we gearing toward that untapped market?A market of hemp heads, we are approaching...And we should tap into the American hemp head also, AS AN UNTAPPED MARKET.
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on June 15, 2002 at 19:00:58 PT
Casino's with smoking areas...
It would bring Me to visit Nevada.As it stands now, they loose My business, till then.I have thought the indians should be allowed cannabis lounges in their casinos...I have never been in one except in NV. but It would draw the attention of cannabis friendly people from around the globe!!!!!!!!Economically, they would BOOOOOOOMBOOMTOWN, LOUNGETHE GREEDY CAN PROBABLY SEE THIS IN BILLIONS, GETTING ALL THE POTHEADS INTO THE CASINOS.THAT IS AN UNTAPPED MARKET.Viva Las Vegas / w/ the velvet Elvis and everything....if we can combine cannabis.Maybe we should make reservations, as a large group, ALL CONTINGENT UPON THIS LAW PASSING,,, OR WE GET A FULL REFUND.you know, that's an idea.Thousands of people by way of protest, make reservations, all with the clause of refund. If there was a group sales, making it happen by way of group / large encentives, talk...1,000 people times what they spend in a place like Vegas, can grow to 15,000 and be big big money for the gambling industry.The gambling industry should have lobbyists to insure this passes yesterday.
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on June 15, 2002 at 18:32:41 PT
we in MI had WWW.prayes.com
We collected over 280.000 thousand reg voters here in MI. with no money good going NV. best of luck. mike
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Comment #2 posted by cltrldmg on June 15, 2002 at 17:18:46 PT
Legalization in Mexico- how important could it be?
DRC Net:4. Border Governors to Discuss Chihuahua Marijuana Legalization The administration of Chihuahua, Mexico, Governor Patricio Martinez has launched a study of marijuana legalization in the Mexican border state most widely known for the violent drug running organizations based in its largest city, the border town of Ciudad Juarez, across the Rio Grande River from El Paso. The move comes after discussions on the topic during an April meeting of the governors of the Mexican border states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamulipas, and leads the way to putting the topic on the agenda of the Commission of Border Governors, which includes both Mexican and US governors. The governors will meet later this month. Gov. Martinez was already pumping up the idea of marijuana legalization at last year's border governor's conference in Tampico, Mexico, last June, when in a sign of independence from drug war orthodoxies, the governors issued a statement calling for drug use and the drug traffic on the border to be viewed primarily as a public health -- not crime -- issue. At that time, he said: "This should be studied, analyzed, and looked at to see what the people want and what the effects are from a different perspective that considers not only their prohibition, but also in given time their approval for medical purposes or rehabilitation or other reasons. We need to study all aspects of drug use, especially marijuana." Despite the failure of his cross-border colleague, New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, to get a marijuana decrim bill passed this year, Martinez has not lost his ardor for the cause. "We, the border governors, have asked different institutions to study the issue of legalizing drugs," Martinez told a Mexico City newspaper. "Until now, what's been done hasn't worked because the use of drugs continues to grow, despite the war that has been launched." While Martinez spoke about drugs in general, the study his administration has launched is looking only at the consequences of legalizing marijuana. The weed is so common in the border region, a Martinez spokesman told the Dallas Morning News, and efforts to curb it have failed so badly, that the governor had to look at the legalization option. "We're studying the issue of legalizing marijuana from addiction to economics and everything in between," said spokesman Fernando Medina. "The governor has said that despite the countless offensives launched as part of the war against drugs, smuggling and drug use continue to grow. It's an issue we really need to study." Not surprisingly for those who follow Mexico, the idea of legalizing marijuana has some support. The idea of legalizing marijuana in Chihuahua has so far been endorsed by Sen. Elias Moreno, president of the Commission on Health and Public Safety and Rep. Gregorio Urias, co-coordinator of a banking industry trade group and a member of the Commission on Public Accounts and Loans. As well, Mexican social and political groups, some of which participated in Million Marijuana Marches in Mexico City last month, are coming on board. Among them are the Mexican Society for the Study of Cannabis, the Multiforo Alicia, a coalition of social and political organizations, some of which are linked to the Zapatistas, and the faculty of philosophy and letters at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. The DEA is not amused. Osvaldo Amado, agency spokesman in El Paso, told the Morning News legalization would make the agency's job all the more difficult. "If it were to happen, the impact would be tremendous because it would put the whole burden on us," said Amado. "It would be very difficult for us. We just don't have the resources to deal with something like that." It is a big business. Last fiscal year, DEA agents seized 184,000 pounds of pot in the El Paso sector alone, while Customs agents working the same sector seized 306,000 pounds in the same period. That is approaching a half-million pounds at El Paso alone, and that's only what got caught. Almost a century ago, Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa led US troops on a fruitless chase through Chihuahua as his soldiers sang border ballads about the weed. The famous tune "La Cucaracha" was one of them. "The cockroach can't walk because he doesn't have any marijuana to smoke," goes the famous line, although it loses something in the translation. Is a Pancho Villa Cannabis Cafe coming to Ciudad Juarez? Stay tuned. 
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Comment #1 posted by smaul paul on June 15, 2002 at 16:39:55 PT:
Who ...
Who would grow the cannabis and what kind of cannabis would they grow? And where woulod they grow it?How much would prices? Wich stores are willing to sell it? How much money would the government be making off of it?These are only a few questions of many...
razorblade 
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