cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Advocates' Hopes Up in Smoke in Nevada





Marijuana Advocates' Hopes Up in Smoke in Nevada
Posted by CN Staff on November 06, 2002 at 10:55:48 PT
By Steve Friess 
Source: Reuters 
A trailblazing effort to make Nevada the first state to legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana went up in smoke on Tuesday as more than 60 percent of state voters rejected the controversial ballot initiative. Despite the famously libertarian leanings of Nevada -- a state where gambling is a chief industry and prostitution is legal -- state voters were going against legal pot possession by almost 2 to 1 with about half the precincts reporting. 
"There is a silent majority of good people in Nevada who care about families," said Sandy Heverly, executive director of the anti-drunken driving group Stop DUI, which campaigned against the initiative. The measure, Question 9, would have started the process of legalizing possession of marijuana and may eventually have required the state legislature to set up a system for the sale, manufacture and taxation of marijuana -- a key hope of marijuana advocates, including many people who believe it is a valuable drug for treating illnesses ranging from cancer to glaucoma. The drug was banned by the U.S. Congress in 1937 and would have remained illegal under federal law, but supporters had hoped an electoral show of support for decriminalization might help persuade more lawmakers to rethink the prohibition. President Bush's drug policy director, John Walters, visited the state twice this fall to fight the measure, telling voters marijuana is an "addictive gateway drug" that leads to the use of cocaine and heroin. Source: Reuters Author: Steve Friess Published: November 06, 2002Copyright: 2002 Reuters Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Pro-Pot Measures Lose in 3 States http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14676.shtmlState Voters Reject Legalizing Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14671.shtmlMarijuana Legalization Backers Suffer Defeats http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14670.shtml 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #2 posted by legalizeit on November 06, 2002 at 15:19:38 PT
I knew it was only a matter of time...
... before some fuddy duddy reporter would use the "going up in smoke" pun about the defeat of Q9. Also, in typical Reuters fashion, only the antis are quoted.If Sandy Heverly cares so much about families and is concerned about problems related to DUI, why doesn't she spearhead an initiative for the banning of alcohol in Nevada and see how far that goes?! I assume that, courtesy of our wonderful media outlets, she has not heard any of the studies that show that driving while under the influence of MJ is really not that bad. Of course if she did hear it she would bleat in disgust, anyway. Anything supporting pot goes against her religion, THE ANSLINGER CHURCH of RACISM and LIES.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by Whirrlin on November 06, 2002 at 13:18:35 PT:
I think...
I may get some comments for saying this, but since I've been studying this issue, I think part of the problem yesterday, was simply a lack of educated voters and attitude. In way drugs in general are such a sensitive issue that its hard for a couple people with money to breeze into town a couple of months before an election and then expect to win the majority vote. Most people are completely unaware of the issue. All they here is what they here from tv, alot of people are just not very political so chances are if it doesn't directly effect them, they don't know much about it. For alot of people it's a moral issue, they hear Marijuana the image of drug addicts pop into their mind and then they think I don't want my kids doing this, and so they say not on your life, legalization. Its fear instead of education. I think for something like this to work anywhere, there has to be a process of education years before an election and that process should continue even after an election. An organization like NORML has to become part of the community and be established and try to educate the general public. 
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment