cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Attached to Bill Medical Marijuana Attached to Bill Posted by FoM on February 15, 2001 at 07:05:16 PT By Ed Vogel, Donrey Capital Vogel Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal When no other legislator would introduce the voter-approved amendment allowing medical marijuana, an assemblywoman decided to piggyback the plan on her bill reducing penalties for possession of marijuana. "No legislator was bothering to implement what the voters passed," said Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas. "A legislator has to do it and nothing was coming." She said Wednesday she has asked legislative lawyers to add the medical marijuana initiative to her own bill that makes possession of small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor. Nevada law now makes possession of any amount of marijuana a felony offense, though generally offenders bargain the crime down to a lesser penalty. Although 65 percent of the voters last November approved the ballot question to allow doctors to order marijuana for cancer, AIDS and other patients, the state laws do not include a way to automatically implement their wishes. The constitutional amend- ment calls for the Legislature to come up with a registry of people authorized to use marijuana and to provide a way for them to acquire marijuana. Giunchigliani wants to set up a state registry of marijuana users similar to the registry operated by state health official in Oregon. Unlike Oregon, which lets authorized users grow marijuana plants, she wants the state to provide marijuana, probably through a state-run farm. She added that she does not favor a proposal backed by an ad hoc committee of doctors and pharmacists to have the University of Nevada Medical School carry out an experimental program on the benefits of medical marijuana. "The state possibly would grow it," she said. "I think grow-your-own gets you in too much trouble." Dan Hart, the leader of Nevada for Medical Rights, met with Giunchigliani this week and backs her medical marijuana plan. His organization, a branch of Americans for Medical Rights, lobbied for Nevada to allow sick people to use marijuana. Nine states now have medical marijuana laws. Eventually, Hart predicts the Legislature will sever the misdemeanor marijuana proposal from the medical marijuana initiative. "If the committee wants to separate the issues, that's fine with me," Giunchigliani said. "This is just a vehicle to get it going." She tried unsuccessfully two years ago to induce the Legislature to lower marijuana possession penalties. Her proposal passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee, but never received a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee. Giunchigliani is more confident about passage this legislative session. "No one wants the felony law," she said. Under her bill, people with small amounts of marijuana would have to pay $500 penalties. When convicted a second time, they also must attend a course on drug usage. She does not know when her bill will be ready for introduction in the Assembly.Note: Assemblywoman piggybacks voter-approved amendment to her legislation reducing penalties. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Author: Ed Vogel, Donrey Capital VogelPublished: Thursday, February 15, 2001 Copyright: Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2001Address: P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125Fax: (702) 383-4676Contact: letters lvrj.comWebsite: http://www.lvrj.com/ CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by Frank on February 15, 2001 at 18:13:33 PT Coitus, Drink And Gamble But Don't Smoke Pot In Nevada it's legal to walk down the street drinking an alcoholic beverage. You can spend your paycheck in a casino and when you are through gambling you can stop in at a brothel for pleasure but for god’s sake don’t smoke a joint – it’s a felony in Nevada. It may make you lose your moral compass! Talk about a double standard. In Nevada the swat team will raid you home if you are smoking pot and listing to jazz. Somehow the government has gotten very confused on the issue of marijuana. Lost as a dog in a weed patch is a better term for their mentality. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by dddd on February 15, 2001 at 13:21:47 PT another wreckless prediction >"Unlike Oregon, which lets authorized users grow marijuana plants, she wants the state to provide marijuana, probably through a state-run farm." This will gradually become the trend for politicians that want to appearbalanced and compassionate to the growing number of outraged pot smokers. If the government finally decides to allow MMJ,it will only be legal to getit through the government.Growing your own will remain illegal as long asthey can continue to get away with it. The "legal to grow it factor",will become increasingly more contraversial,and resisted.They know that once anyone is legally allowed to grow their own,the "Genie will be out of the bottle" so to speak.The drug companies will vigorouslysupport this because they know it will lay the groundwork for it to be by prescriptiononly.....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Lehder on February 15, 2001 at 12:48:42 PT strike 3? >Under her bill, people with small amounts of marijuana would have to pay $500 penalties. When convicted asecond time, they also must attend a course on drug usage.And on a third conviction? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by sm247 on February 15, 2001 at 12:43:36 PT greaaaaaat I hope they realize how many strains of marijuana there are and not everyone is comfortable wth every type of strain ...to be honest there are times i didn't like the marijuana that was available all marijuana is not the same thats why research has been inadequate [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by observer on February 15, 2001 at 09:14:29 PT Bravo! Under her bill, people with small amounts of marijuana would have to pay $500 penalties. When convicted asecond time, they also must attend a course on drug usage.Hope this passes.I'll bet there will be some choice reefer madness when that bill gets debated. The police, prosecutors, prison guards and treatment industry will simultaneously scream, claiming that a) the law must not be changed, because no one is ever sent to federal prisons for really really long periods for small amounts of personal use marijuana, b) the law must not be changed, because then police and proseuctors won't be able to arrest people as often, c) the law must not be changed because marijuana "addicts" must be forced into "treatment" d) the law must not be changed because to not incarcerate adults for smoking pot would "send the wrong message" to "The Children", and of course, e) the law must not be changed, because to do so would be the first step on the slippery slope of providing government heroin for kindergardeners to mainline in school. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: