cannabisnews.com: Medical Pot Closer To Reality





Medical Pot Closer To Reality
Posted by FoM on April 13, 2001 at 17:40:19 PT
By Geoff Dornan
Source: Tahoe.com
Nevada's long-standing marijuana laws, among the toughest in the nation, are under assault in the 2001 Legislature.Pointing to a petition which won two-thirds of the popular vote last November, the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Wednesday recommended passage of the bill to legalize medical use of marijuana. Assembly Bill 453 by Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, also reduces small-time possession and use from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Meanwhile, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee protested inequities in the marijuana laws and suggested the bill would get favorable treatment when it gets to his committee.Assembly Bill 453 allows medical patients suffering from certain chronic, debilitating and terminal diseases to have and legally use marijuana to help relieve the symptoms. She said the bill was designed to implement the wishes of Nevada voters.But it doesn't put the state into the business of regulating pot farms or of growing medical marijuana in a state facility."I was very concerned with the state running pot farms because I don't think the state would be very good at it," said Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.Which prompted Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-Las Vegas, to joke that the project should be turned over to the prison system."Some of those folks are honor camp trustees that I'm sure could grow this in abundance for the state," he said.Giunchigliani said those with a registry card permitting use of the drug would be allowed to have a few plants and a small amount of pot in their possession without fear of prosecution.The bill also protects their families from prosecution for being around the drug but doesn't permit anyone else to use it.The bill creates a confidential state registry listing the names of those permitted to use medical marijuana. Giunchigliani said it is modeled after the Oregon system, which she said has not run into trouble with the federal government.The other part of the bill reduces Nevada's penalties for small-amount possession and use of pot from a felony to a misdemeanor. John Carpenter, R-Elko, voted to support the measure after the committee amended it to require an evaluation so that those with a serious substance abuse problem can be ordered into a treatment program.Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Chairman Mark James, R-Las Vegas, questioned what he sees as inequities in Nevada's marijuana laws. The comments came during discussion of Senate Bill 242, which corrects an unintended error in a 1999 drug law which removed the ban on growing marijuana.James told Ben Graham of the District Attorneys Association and Clark County drug force detective Chris Bunn he seriously questions jailing adults for using marijuana and wonders why the penalty for selling to a juvenile isn't stiffer than for selling to an adult.He said reimposing the felony mandating up to 15 years for cultivation of marijuana makes that penalty much stiffer than the existing possession charge, which carries a maximum of four years."I find myself tending to support the argument that your average adult using small amounts of marijuana shouldn't be a felon," he said. "And I told Chris that."He also said lawmakers should pass legislation as the public wishes, making marijuana available for medical needs, but that he believes the state should control and license growers to provide it rather than making patients find and buy it "from a crime organization.""That's going to put us in the situation of supporting the people who sell these drugs," he said.He called on Graham and Bunn to help remedy those problems, toughen penalties for selling drugs to juveniles and to concentrate on drug rings rather than small users.Source: Tahoe.com (CA)Author: Geoff DornanPublished: Friday, April 13, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Tahoe.comWebsite: http://www.tahoe.com/Contact: http://www.tahoe.com/newspapers/letter_to_editor.htmlRelated Articles:Senator Wants State To Grow Medicinal Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9361.shtmlMedical Marijuana: Bill Would Let Patient Grow Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9359.shtmlMedical Marijuana: State Run Pot Farm Idea Sinkshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9335.shtml 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #1 posted by observer on April 14, 2001 at 08:48:42 PT
Compare and Contrast
Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Chairman Mark James, R-Las Vegas, questioned what he sees as inequities in Nevada's marijuana laws. . . . James told Ben Graham of the District Attorneys Association and Clark County drug force detective Chris Bunn he seriously questions jailing adults for using marijuana . . . "I find myself tending to support the argument that your average adult using small amounts of marijuana shouldn't be a felon," he said. That's a remarkably sane attitude on James' part. I'm surprised those prosecutors didn't pitch a fit then and there. I'm guessing they will, they just didn't do it in front of the Chairman, were caught off-guard, etc.The hyprocrisy of jailing citizens who take cannabis, while taxing open and legal whore-houses ( http://www.google.com/search?q=las+vegas+brothels ) never ceases to amaze me. The Bible that many of these micro-mercy moralists claim to believe follow and obey, explicitly condemns prostitution in many ways and places. The Bible never mentions that smoking or using plants, yea verily, even for pleasure (relaxation, creativity, perspective, pain, etc.) is sinful or wrong. Guess which one is legal in the US? How often do you hear the oh-so-(self)-righteous politicians talk about the 'message' legal prostitution in the US sends to 'Our Children'? Not once? No? Don't hear Falwell flapping his jaw about that like he does about "drugs", do you? Don't hear Senator Hatch stand up and say, "The Federal Government is ENDORSING your DAUGHTERS to enter a life of WHOREDOM," do we? No, the hypocrites prefer to stand up and prevaricate that not jailing adult cannabis users (that is, returning to the same freedom over their own bodies that all Americans once shared; repealing prohibition), would be "sending the wrong messsage" to "our young people." Think about it. The US Federal government does not jail people for engaging in prostitution: but no message is sent to 'our young people' about engaging in prostitution. On the other hand, were the US Federal Government to obey the will of the people and allow, say medical cannabis to be used, then that of course, would "send the message" to "our children" that "we" tolerate "drug users", or some similar such bunk.Kudos to Senate Judiciary Chairman Mark James for taking a step in the direction of rejecting jail for adults who responsibly take cannabis.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: