cannabisnews.com: Legal Marijuana Campaign Restarts





Legal Marijuana Campaign Restarts
Posted by CN Staff on February 18, 2004 at 08:33:24 PT
By Erin Neff, Review-Journal
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal 
An initiative petition seeking to legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana will be filed with the secretary of state's office today despite a similar measure's sound defeat on the ballot in 2002. The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, established in Nevada this year by the national Marijuana Policy Project, will attempt to make Nevada the first state in the nation to legalize possession of marijuana.
"We have a much more directed petition than the one two years ago," committee spokeswoman Jennifer Knight said. "I did not vote for this two years ago because I was concerned about it, but this alleviates my concerns." The initiative first must qualify for the ballot by collecting the signatures of 51,244 registered voters by June 15. The petition also must represent at least 10 percent of the voters in 13 of Nevada's 17 counties to qualify. The 2002 campaign, called Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, qualified a petition with 110,000 signatures seeking to legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana. The proponents tried to tie the issue to the medical use of marijuana, which is legal in Nevada, by alleging patients could not obtain the drug because of the state's stringent laws and the inability to purchase plants from the state. But a coalition of law enforcement and citizens groups, bolstered by independent advertising from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and reports of the death of a local journalist, successfully blocked its passage, with 61 percent voting no and only 39 percent in support. Marijuana foes vowed to win again this year. "It's a public safety issue, whether it's 3 ounces or 1 ounce," said Sandy Heverly, executive director of Stop DUI. "We do not need to legalize another drug that impairs." The new petition, called the Regulation of Marijuana Amendment, also would increase penalties for vehicular manslaughter and delivery of marijuana to a minor. The petition would impose penalties of up to 10 years in prison for first-time offenders and life in prison for second-time offenders convicted of delivering marijuana to a minor. It also would impose a minimum penalty of five years to life in prison for anyone convicted of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance. That portion of the initiative is designed to blunt criticism that is believed responsible for felling the 2002 initiative. In August 2002, Las Vegas Sun Vice President Sandy Thompson was killed in an accident caused by a driver under the influence of marijuana. After the incident, Thompson's family came out in opposition to the initiative and focused attention on a number of similar accidents involving marijuana. Heverly said her coalition, Nevadans Against Legalizing Marijuana, will meet Feb. 26 to come up with a strategy to defeat the new initiative. She said she is hopeful John Walters, the federal drug czar, will again visit the state in opposition to the initiative. If the initiative qualifies for the November ballot and passes, it would have to pass again in 2006 to become part of the constitution. The Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, D.C., poured about $2 million into the 2002 campaign. The project has provided $150,000 to the local committee for this effort, and the project's foundation has been running a television ad for several weeks. That ad states that 67 percent of Nevada high school seniors have tried marijuana compared to 28 percent of those in the Netherlands, where the drug is legal. Knight said the new initiative would keep drugs out of the hands of dealers and into a state-regulated system. "It's easier for my son to get marijuana right now than if he went to the store to try to get tobacco," Knight said, referring to her 11-year-old son. The county's top cops aren't buying the argument. "Legalization of drugs is not beneficial to the youth of our state," said District Attorney David Roger, who as a candidate in 2002 opposed the first initiative. Sheriff Bill Young, who personally donated to the coalition opposing the initiative in 2002, said his position hasn't changed. "We've got enough intoxicants out there already," Young said. "It certainly will put more of our young people at risk. It's just more drugs, more people stoned, and more people driving around under the influence." In 2002, the effort to legalize marijuana in Nevada garnered national attention, including a cover story in Time magazine. In addition to the Nevada initiative, the Marijuana Policy Project also is backing medical marijuana initiatives in Arkansas and Montana this year. Andy Anderson, former president of the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs, worked on the 2002 initiative and will serve as chairman of this year's effort. The Southwest Group, a political consulting firm founded by Billy Rogers, will provide guidance and office space to the campaign. Rogers headed the initiative in 2002.Note: Backers say proposal answers skepticism of earlier measure.Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Author:  Erin Neff, Review-JournalPublished: Wednesday, February 18, 2004Copyright: 2004 Las Vegas Review-JournalContact: letters lvrj.comWebsite: http://www.lvrj.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Losing Initiative Groups Ponder The Futurehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14797.shtmlDrug Reformers are Regrouping http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14769.shtmlThe New Politics of Pot - Time Magazinehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14574.shtml 
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Comment #16 posted by Virgil on February 18, 2004 at 20:07:39 PT
A Nevada Inquisition
The last iniative was poorly conceived and then there were the Mormons. It would be the Mormons that went to Mexico that would mainstream cannabis into Utah and it would be Utah that would begin criminal sanctions on cannabis in 1915- http://www.forces.org/articles/files/whiteb/white04.htm According to that link 26 other states would follow before the federal government made it unanimous in 1937.Walters would call the defeat of the last iniative the high water mark in the reform movement. He was either wrong or just lying while entertaining himself with wishful thinking. The country is in flux as we see that everything we are told is all a lie and that governments real purpose is to protect the wealth of the few. Europe bans our milk- http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.htm Maybe people will challenge the flouride we drink and question why this poison would at least not be regulated pure instead of the disposal of heavy metals cleaned in industrial processes. Maybe some will come to challenge the officiadom by looking at the disposal of depleted uranium in fertilizers so they might be widely spread. Who knows what will alarm the awakening that is coming to many. It could be error in policy concerning Miracle Plant that turns people to inquisition (dictionary.com- A rigorous, harsh interrogation.)One thing is for sure, the high water mark on legalization has not been reached. This time Nevada is awakened by those that have sought a New World Order. It is clear upon inquistion that the drug wars have been integrated into the goal of making the powerful few the rulers of the entire planet and have ignored the unalienable rights of all wo/men. If we are to make things right we must first end those things that are obvious wrong. Awaken Nevada. It is time for inquisition.
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Comment #15 posted by Nuevo Mexican on February 18, 2004 at 19:11:47 PT
Horns and Halos: Remember Jim Hatfield?
and all of our conversations about the author of 'Fortunate Son' the book about bushes past that was pulled from the shelves after Daddys attorneys threatened?If you have Cinemax it is on now! And will be repeated.Awesome!Enjoy!
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Comment #14 posted by JustGetnBy on February 18, 2004 at 17:45:40 PT
     Billos, Your Right!
   
  From an ex-cop to sheriff Bill Young, current cop, your either a moron, or your pandering to the buttered side of your bread.
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on February 18, 2004 at 13:48:27 PT
Treeanna
Thanks!
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on February 18, 2004 at 13:47:51 PT
Thank You DankHank
Keep up the good work!
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Comment #11 posted by delta9 on February 18, 2004 at 13:31:19 PT:
wrong battlefield?
one would think california would be more fertile ground for this type of an initiative in 2004, given the likely anti-Bush turnout.
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Comment #10 posted by Treeanna on February 18, 2004 at 13:29:29 PT
FoM
Cool! ;)
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Comment #9 posted by Dankhank on February 18, 2004 at 13:27:23 PT:
Driving While Stoned ...
You must know that the auto crash that torpedoed the last initiave will be mentioned again, in this campaign.I was trolling here yesteday and read the story, "Millions have driven on drugs ... Millions Have Driven on Drugs, U.S. Says http://cannabisnews.com/news/17/thread17320.shtmland decided to call Dr. Jeffrey Runge of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to learn WHERE his data comes from.I called many offices and was rewarded with a call today by Jim Frank of the NHTSA who is in the drugged driving stats division. He was helpful, but skeptical, and will mail me some data to peruse. He constantly mentioned Marijuana AND ... meaning other drugs. I pointed out to him that Dr. Runge's statement said "Marijuana-impaired drivers with a caevat that most marijuana-impaired drivers are already drinking. It's true, that drinking and driving is bad, and that Marijuana apparently can't fix it.MY last talk with Jim was 20 minutes ago and I directed him to the thread mentioned, he read it while we were on the phone ... SOAn official of the NHTSA has been on your site today!!In closing I told him I was sure the government had NO data showing Marijuana-impaired-only drivers were dangerous and submitted as proof: If such a study DID exist the government would hammer us with it, and they don't.I wait with tingling for the data he is to send.I will tell all later about my visit to Rep. Tom Cole (R OK) last night.Peace to all and, FOM, thanks for this wonderful site.Peace to all ............... 
Hemp N Stuff
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Comment #8 posted by SystemGoneDown on February 18, 2004 at 12:03:08 PT
What they won't say...
Sure, they can mention that we are "adding another intoxicant" to the market. And they act like it will put more intoxicated people out there. But they won't mention that legalization, for the majority part, will simply make people switch from alcohol consumption to an alternative marijuana. Look, people who want to get 'f'd' up are going to get f'd up. Legalizing pot isn't going to increased the amount of people getting intoxicated, it's just a positive switch to natural ways. And since alcohol is the only legal way, it is the leading intoxicant in the U.S. It would not surprise me that if marijuana were legalized, DUI rates in this country would decrease significantly. Not to mention all the health problems of alcoholism would also decrease.
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Comment #7 posted by billos on February 18, 2004 at 11:44:00 PT:
From an x-cop to a cop ........
Sheriff Bill Young...you are.. a.. fuc**ng..... MORON.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 18, 2004 at 11:42:04 PT
Related Article from The Associated Press
Legal Marijuana Campaign Starts Again in Nevada Wednesday, February 18, 2004An initiative petition to legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana in Nevada was to be filed with the secretary of state's office Wednesday -- a follow-up to a similar measure's rejected by voters in 2002. The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, formed in Nevada this year by the national Marijuana Policy Project, wants to make Nevada the first state in the nation to legalize possession of marijuana. "We're filing this initiative because current marijuana laws don't work," said committee spokeswoman Jennifer Knight. "The 2004 marijuana initiative will reduce teenage marijuana use by strictly regulating marijuana." The proposal would allow private use by adults of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, and increase penalties for providing marijuana to minors or for causing a fatal accident while driving under the influence of the substance. Sale of marijuana would be taxed, and revenue would be earmarked for drug and alcohol treatment and education programs. The initiative first must qualify for the ballot by collecting signatures of 51,244 registered voters by June 15. If the initiative qualifies for the November ballot and passes, it would have to pass again in 2006 to become part of the constitution. The 2002 campaign, called Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, qualified a petition with 110,000 signatures seeking to legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana. The proponents tried to tie the issue to the medical use of marijuana, which is legal in Nevada, by alleging patients couldn't get the drug because of the state's stringent laws and the inability to purchase plants from the state. But a coalition of law enforcement and citizens groups, bolstered by independent advertising from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, successfully blocked its passage, with 61 percent voting no and only 39 percent in support. Marijuana foes vowed to win again this year. "It's a public safety issue, whether it's 3 ounces or 1 ounce," said Sandy Heverly, executive director of Stop DUI. "We do not need to legalize another drug that impairs." Heverly said her coalition, Nevadans Against Legalizing Marijuana, will meet Feb. 26 to come up with a strategy to defeat the new initiative. She said she is hopeful John Walters, the federal drug czar, will again visit the state in opposition to the initiative. The Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, D.C., poured about $2 million into the 2002 campaign. The project has provided $150,000 to the local committee for the latest effort, and the project's foundation has been running a television ad that states 67 percent of Nevada high school seniors have tried marijuana compared to 28 percent of those in the Netherlands, where the drug is legal. Knight said the new initiative would keep drugs out of the hands of dealers by creating a state-regulated system. "It's easier for my son to get marijuana right now than if he went to the store to try to get tobacco," Knight said, referring to her 11-year-old son. Andy Anderson, former president of the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs, worked on the 2002 initiative and will serve as chairman of this year's effort. The Southwest Group, a political consulting firm founded by Billy Rogers, will provide guidance and office space to the campaign. Rogers headed the initiative in 2002. Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press
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Comment #5 posted by BigDawg on February 18, 2004 at 11:01:35 PT
He said it right
>"We've got enough intoxicants out there already,"And cannabis is one of them.These guys act like regulateing cannabis will be putting something new on the street. Ummm, isn't it ALREADY there? And the business run by gangsters?Oh never mind. These guys are cops... they know what they are doing. Saving their jobs.And on the issue of "Children in Squalor in Grow House." Hmmm, I wonder if the guy was growing orchids if it would have made the news? Child neglect is a crime unto itself. A REAL crime.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on February 18, 2004 at 10:37:47 PT
A Troubling Story
I really don't want to post this article but I hope others read it and have something to say about it. Here it is.***Children in Squalor at Grow House 
Police 'disturbed' by living conditions; marijuana seizedWednesday, February 18, 2004 - Page A13 
 
 
A nine-year-old boy's 911 call may have helped blow the whistle on his parents' Richmond Hill marijuana grow operation, leading police to discover six children living in what officers described as appalling conditions.
 http://globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040218/MARIJUANA18//?query=marijuana
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 18, 2004 at 09:48:44 PT
Treeanna
I agree that's why I posted it for those who are familar with the Netherlands.
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Comment #2 posted by Treeanna on February 18, 2004 at 09:42:06 PT
hmmmmmm
Not sure what that has to do with MJ, but societies certainly should have the right to control immigration into thier country.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 18, 2004 at 09:13:46 PT
Off Topic: Dutch Join Europe's Anti-Refugee Tide
Dutch Join Europe's Anti-Refugee Tide
 By Alan FreemanWednesday, February 18, 2004 - Page A1 
 
 LONDON -- The anti-refugee drawbridge was raised in another European country yesterday, as the lower house of the Dutch parliament approved a controversial law that will allow the government to expel as many as 26,000 unsuccessful asylum-seekers in the next three years.The move, proposed by the Netherlands' centre-right government, has brought harsh criticism from international organizations like Human Rights Watch, which calls it "a serious departure from the Netherlands' historic role as a leader in human rights." 
Complete Article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/freeheadlines/LAC/20040218/NETHERLANDS18/international/International
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