cannabisnews.com: Lawmakers: Nevadans Want Marijuana Bill





Lawmakers: Nevadans Want Marijuana Bill
Posted by FoM on June 03, 2001 at 07:31:04 PT
By Ed Vogel, Donrey Capital Bureau
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal 
The state will establish a medical marijuana program for approved patients and also will try to win federal support for a marijuana research project, lawmakers tentatively agreed Saturday. Senate Human Resources Chairman Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, and Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, decided to go ahead with Assembly Bill 453, which puts into effect a voter-approved constitutional amendment to let doctors recommend marijuana to AIDS, cancer and other patients. Approved patients would be permitted to grow as many as seven marijuana plants in their homes. 
Both houses of the Legislature may approve the agreement as early as today and send the bill to Gov. Kenny Guinn for his approval or veto. "Nothing is a done deal, but I am confident because this does not change the will of the people," Giunchigliani said. "Every legislator has to grabble with this," Rawson said. "The people put this in the constitution and asked us to do it." A preamble will be added to the bill, calling on the state through the University of Nevada School of Medicine to seek federal approval of a separate marijuana research program. The preamble acknowledges the consequences of marijuana abuse but says Nevada as "a sovereign state has the duty to carry out the will of the people." Sen. Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas, wrote the preamble. In two consecutive elections, Nevada voters approved a ballot question to establish a medical marijuana program. In November, 65 percent of voters supported medical marijuana. Nine states now have laws allowing patients to smoke marijuana, although the drug under federal law remains a prohibited controlled substance. The U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down a California medical marijuana program in a decision that some thought meant the death of similar programs. "It doesn't stop what people want," said Giunchigliani about the agreement on the bill. "But hopefully the feds sometime will look at some creative (research) programs and maybe we can move forward in that area." In the past 10 years, the federal government has approved only two marijuana research programs: one using 60 people at the University of California, San Francisco, and the other involving 67 people in San Mateo, Calif. Giunchigliani expects about 200 people initially will receive permission to grow and use marijuana in Nevada. The state program is based on an Oregon law. In Oregon, 1,900 people have permission to use medical marijuana. There have been only two incidents of abuse in the Oregon program. "The feds still may pursue people in this state," Rawson said. "We have tried to do everything we can do for proper safeguards. We don't want people to think they are safe until they really are." But Giunchigliani doubts the federal government will send agents into the homes of ailing people for seven or fewer pot plants. The federal government has not arrested approved users in Oregon. A dentist who teaches a pharmacy program at the Community College of Southern Nevada, Rawson said he believes there are medical uses for marijuana. "I teach students that the first medications came from plants," he said. "Marijuana is one of those plants that probably has a medical purpose." Rawson said the federal government should conduct a major study to determine whether marijuana has medical uses. Medical marijuana advocates say the drug relieves pain, combats nausea associated with some treatments and can stimulate an otherwise suppressed appetite. Opponents say marijuana interferes with memory and motor skills and that smoking it can cause respiratory problems and other ailments.Note: Voter mandate to carry medical-use measure to Guinn for his approval. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Author: Ed Vogel, Donrey Capital BureauPublished: Sunday, June 03, 2001Copyright: 2001 Las Vegas Review-JournalContact: letters lvrj.comWebsite: http://www.lvrj.com/Related Articles:Senate Subcommittee Backs Medical Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9951.shtmlState Senator Suggests Research on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9918.shtmlSenator Seeks Protection for Users http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9913.shtml
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