cannabisnews.com: Public Officials Slam Marijuana Ballot Measure





Public Officials Slam Marijuana Ballot Measure
Posted by CN Staff on July 21, 2002 at 12:55:45 PT
By Elaine Goodman
Source: Reno Gazette-Journal 
A Nevada ballot initiative that would legalize up to three ounces of marijuana is just one step for a group that wants to legalize all drugs, Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick said.Gammick is one of several public officials lining up in opposition to the November ballot measure, citing reasons ranging from setting a bad example for children to reducing the courts’ ability to help marijuana addicts.
Gammick said marijuana proponents aren’t being upfront about their motives. The district attorney said he made a similar warning in 2000, when Nevada voters approved legalization of marijuana for medicinal uses.“There is a national coalition and their goal is the legalization of all illegal drugs,” Gammick said. “I said two years ago that they’re coming back again, because they will not quit.”Proponents of the initiative say loosening marijuana laws would give law enforcement more time to combat serious crime. Nationwide, 750,000 arrests were made for marijuana possession in 2000, with each arrest consuming three to eight hours in booking and court time, said Billy Rogers, campaign manager for the initiative.“That is a colossal waste of law enforcement time,” Rogers said. “Most people think law enforcement time could be better spent going after murderers, rapists and other violent criminals, and fighting the war on terrorism.”Rogers said the ballot measure stops short of true legalization because it would prohibit marijuana use in public, including at parks and casinos. The measure would allow the responsible use of marijuana by adults, Rogers said, while still punishing irresponsible use, such as driving under the influence of marijuana.“When you’re banning the public use of marijuana, that’s not legalization,” said Rogers, who is on leave from his position as state policy director for the Medical Marijuana Project in Washington, D.C., while he manages the campaign for the Nevada initiative.Rogers said the ballot measure has “significant support” from law enforcement, although he said last week he wasn’t ready to announce the endorsements.The proposal needs approval from voters in November and again in 2004 to become law.Asa Hutchinson, director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, also warned during a visit to Reno this month that the initiative’s backers are after complete legalization of marijuana. Hutchinson said the initiative is the work of a national group, rather than a grass-roots effort of Nevadans.Rogers said the signatures of nearly 110,000 voters on the initiative petition, which he called a record for a Nevada initiative, shows that the measure has strong support within the state.State Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, criticized the signature gatherers for portraying the initiative as a medical marijuana measure and downplaying the fact it would legalize marijuana possession by any adult.The initiative contains a provision for providing marijuana to medicinal users at low cost, in addition to the proposed legalization of up to three ounces.The initiative also would establish a system to tax and regulate marijuana sales at state-licensed shops. Advertising and transportation into or out of the state would be prohibited. Rogers said signature gatherers were upfront about the initiative’s contents, providing the text of the initiative to potential signers.The Washoe County Sheriff’s office opposes the marijuana initiative, in part because it would put Nevada in conflict with federal law, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Deputy Michelle Youngs.Youngs said many of the calls deputies respond to, such as domestic violence incidents, are the result of drug use. Parents who use drugs set a bad example for their children, she said.Youngs also questioned whether the initiative would significantly reduce the number of arrests. Marijuana possession is usually discovered after deputies arrest someone on a different charge, she said.Nevada changed its marijuana laws last year so that possession of less than one ounce is a misdemeanor rather than a felony. That means most people caught with less than an ounce of marijuana are cited, rather than thrown in jail, unless they’ve committed another offense.Gammick, the district attorney, said the looser marijuana laws have reduced the courts’ ability to help addicts.Previously, first- or second-time offenders typically were fined, rather than sentenced to jail, Gammick said. Repeat offenders could avoid jail time by agreeing to counseling and strict court supervision.If offenders didn’t slip up during the supervision period, their felony record would be sealed, Gammick said.“It took away a very effective tool, of going into drug court and getting rid of the monkey once and for A public forum on the statewide ballot question to legalize up to three ounces of marijuana will be televised from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. today on Channel 16 in Reno. The forum, hosted by the Nevada secretary of state, will feature representatives on both sides of the issue. Viewers will be able to telephone and e-mail live questions to the representatives. Sidebar:  Residents Split on Marijuana Question By Pedro Morales, Reno Gazette-JournalRelieving severe pain, driving under the influence and entering a gateway to other drugs were issues raised by some local residents last week regarding a ballot initiative to change the state’s marijuana law.The referendum would allow Nevada residents to carry three ounces of marijuana without penalty.Reno resident Fred Horne, 31, said his friend suffers from a severe back injury and smokes marijuana to alleviate the pain. He said he’d like to see the initiative pass because it could allow more open-mindedness in the medicine world.“The old line of thinking should be open to a new line of thinking,” Horne said.He said the current laws unnecessarily punish people.“If you get stoned and drive and hurt someone, you’re screwed,” Horne said. “This will protect those that smoke responsibly. Moderation is the key.”Some disapproved of the initiative, fearing it would lead to abuse of the drug.“I don’t want to know that someone high might be driving on the same street my kids are playing on,” said Reno resident Tiffany Allen, 29.Allen said smoking marijuana could be a gateway to other, more lethal, drugs.She did say, however, that the current Nevada laws were “ridiculous.”“No one should face time in prison for marijuana possession that will be longer than someone who has committed a violent crime.”Jesus Gandara, 40, said he believes that if passed, the new law would lead to more drug dealing.“They’re going to go out of the drug house with three ounces of marijuana, sell it, and go back to pick up more,” said the Reno resident. Source: Reno Gazette-Journal (NV)Author: Elaine Goodman & Pedro MoralesPublished: July 21, 2002Copyright: 2002 Reno Gazette-Journal Website: http://www.rgj.com/Contact: rgjmail nevadanet.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/DEA Director Criticizes Marijuana Ballot Measure http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13388.shtmlLegalize Pot? Not So Fast http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13371.shtmlMedical Marijuana Vote Denounced by U.S. Aidehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13343.shtmlThe Drug Legalizers Are At It Againhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13321.shtml 
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Comment #9 posted by kaptinemo on July 22, 2002 at 10:41:38 PT:
Evidently they don't agree with Shakespeare
"He whos steals my purse steals trash..."Well, that's exactly what this initiative will 'steal'...anti purses. Full of lovely tax appropriations and forfeiture money that Porky has become addicted to. And will sorely miss. Hence his loud squealling.And as to drug courts? Just another artificial and wholly useless niche in the legal system...as far as a cannabis consumer is concerned. But a very soft job for all allied with it; they would have less money to run them as a result of this passing. One last point: have you ever noticed that antis never address the statements of reformers regarding the efficiency of their own jobs increasing if they were unburdened with chasing (easily caught and largely peaceable) cannabis consumers?Not that many rapists, child molestors and robbers in sparsley populated Nevada. Releasing the po-leece from their easy duty of busting us would immediately help to free resources for investigating major crimes. Some of which have not been solved...precisely because the cops were 'too busy' busting us. (I didn't add murderers to that list because there are plenty of Mobsters in Nevada. Plenty of freelance executioners to keep Porky busy once he stops chasing us. But they are hard to catch...as opposed to us. Might have to break a sweat...and go toe-to-toe with people that the local LEOs might actually be in bed with.)Uh-huh. Not a peep about how their jobs would be made so much simpler if they had to chase real criminals...which, given the rampant corruption every place the Mob makes it's home, the local LEOs probably have a real incentive not to do.
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Comment #8 posted by dimebag on July 22, 2002 at 07:11:41 PT
Parents Who Use Drugs are a Bad Influence?
Fuck No! If any thing parents that use drugs and are constantly in a Drugged Up Stuper using Herion and Coke, sith they are the best examples in the World not to use drugs. Let um do it. The reason I dont smoke Ciggaretts is cuz my Mom does and she smells constantly, and now she wakes up in the Morning dam near throwing up a lung just from coughing. So yeah, she made a great example. But pot smoking parents that hold jobs and are at least holding up a family and feeding them, then yeah, they are a gret example of how good pot is, compared to any thing else you can use to get you trashed. My point is , Marijuana is the safest drug one can use and its treated like its the Fukin Black Plague. End Marijuana Prohibition.Dimebag.
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Comment #7 posted by Letsgetfree on July 22, 2002 at 05:19:01 PT
Let's help those poor marijuana addicts....
By throwing them in jail! What a larf. I hope to god none of these people try to "help" me.Go Nevada, GO!
Add Canada to that cheer!
We can win this sumbitch!
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Comment #6 posted by freedom fighter on July 22, 2002 at 02:22:25 PT
Make or break our tomorrows!
Thanks goodness for the Internet!You, Mama, FoM, hold greatest respect in my heart for what you have or had done so far and will do so beyond anyone's dream of what will be like beyond.You have taught me what is like to be so tolerant(sp) of others who may be differnt from me..I have this Tee-shirt, its' my favorite but I rarely use it.In front of my shirt, it says "REEFER KING", "I Love this Joint!"In back of my shirt, it has menu of all favorite kind of "Cannabis" products with prices quoted!Went to "Home Depot" today, (Home depot as it should be prounced instead of Home Depoo} to buy some stuff so I can fix the sink. Most would pay no attention. A many would smile. And several would just give me a dirty look..I just smiled right back.. You are lucky you can "tune" out the noise, many can't do that. Too far many are too attuned to the daily grind of noise that they cannot think for themselves anymore. I myself have to try to tune in because by the nature of what I am. Sometime I do great. And sometime I don't! With all due respect, I, humbly, respect your son and the Internet. Without them, what would we, the Cnews family be? If anything on radio, just take a time to file brief statement. It does help..Oh, dang its' 3 am MST and I am drunk as a skunk! I sure wish I smell like a skunk. ff
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 21, 2002 at 18:15:51 PT
freedom fighter
That was quite a story. I'm glad that you have the Internet. I'm glad I have the Internet. When I got on line in the fall of 96 it was 6 months after my son passed away and my husband bought me a computer so I could have something to do and keep my mind occupied. I was very mentally fragile for a few years and only now am really doing fine. I didn't know how I felt about anything. I didn't know if I was a liberal or a conservative. Actually I still don't. LOL!I understand what you mean about not wanting to hear. I have an ability to turn off my hearing when I don't want to hear something. Maybe it isn't quite like that but I can tune out things anymore fairly easily. My attitude has come from years of hope and then no hope. I now don't live in the future and I keep my mind from wandering to far into the past. I try to live for the moment because we can't change the past and it's how we feel right now that will make or break our tomorrows. 
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Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on July 21, 2002 at 17:55:25 PT
Actually, my friend!
I do feel bad for folks who can hear everything every single day..The daily grind of just hearing everything..phone rings ringing off the hook everyday...Floors creaking like crazy! Oh, that annoying water dripping from the sinks...Every converstation some stranger might say in within an earshot especially those who are the "bigot"..In short, in my eyes, the world of hearies have no such a thing as privacy.I must admit I miss one thing, I would dearly love to hear birds singing.. I'm bit different than most of my "Stoned" deaf friends who do not even hear anything. I can hear the beats of the Beatles, The Who and so forth but am not able to understand what they are singing about. Some of them I do, if you get my drift. As for my "Stoned" deaf friends, in their world, since they were born that way, for most of my friends, they do not miss or care to know what is it like to really hear everything everyday. In fact, we often think people who hear too much are too abnormal! eheh! Sure, we would be a little bit curious as to what it would feel like to be able to hear sometimes. I wonder if sometime you wish you could have the ability to turn off the sounds filtering in your ears? :)As for the radio, I would'nt miss so much as long I got a friend like you who can take the time to explain what's going on. Basically, there is a reason why there are some human beings on earth who do not hear or see or somewhat different than others.We are the barometer of the humanity on this earth. For eample, I was reading today's newspaper, there was an article about a lady who is a high function autistic person and she is a doctor who specialized in research of how to treat a cow or a pig right right up to the slaughterhouse. In her mind, we raise cows and pigs for food and we should treat them with respect. It is AWESOME! http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E745176%257E,00.htmlIf there was a miracle pill which you could give me so I can hear everything everyday tomorrow, I would have to say, thank you but NO THANKS!Would'nt the World would be such a very very dull place if we all are alike, look alike, thought alike, spoke alike.. :)With alot of respect and lots of Loveff
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 21, 2002 at 15:48:02 PT
check this out freedom fighter
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread13472.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 21, 2002 at 15:46:38 PT
freedom fighter 
I don't but you know I'll look and post something if I find something. I feel bad even mentioning that the canadian radio program was great because I know you couldn't hear it.It was excellent.
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Comment #1 posted by freedom fighter on July 21, 2002 at 14:49:25 PT
Anybody knows
the phone nbrs or how to email to Channel 16??It would be great to ask how many human beings got arrested for smoking cannabis and how many terrorists got arrested in Nevada!ff
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