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| Sinsemilla in Sin City |
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Posted by CN Staff on August 27, 2002 at 20:30:15 PT By Valerie Vande Panne Source: LiP Magazine 
An historic initiative to end the war on marijuana users will be on the statewide ballot in Nevada this November. Spearheaded by the Marijuana Policy Project with its offspring organization, Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, the initiative seeks to eliminate the threat of arrest and all other penalties for adults who use and possess up to three ounces of marijuana.If passed, the initiative will require the state government to implement a system where adults may obtain marijuana through a legally regulated market, rather than from the criminal market. It will allow seriously ill patients to obtain marijuana at a lower cost than non-medical users. And, it will impose the restrictions that conservatives demand, such as penalties for driving dangerously while under the influence of marijuana, smoking marijuana in public, and providing marijuana to minors. (The initiative does not allow for personal cultivation of the plant.) The initiative, known on the ballot as Question 9, would allow the police in Nevada to focus their time and resources on murder, rape, robbery, and property crimes. The Marijuana Policy Project briefly secured the endorsement of the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs (NCOPS). With more than 3,000 members statewide, NCOPS is the largest police association in Nevada. However, under pressure from the Las Vegas Police Protective Association and the Clark County (Las Vegas) District Attorney's office, NCOPS withdrew its endorsement. "As a former law-enforcement officer, I know that a simple marijuana arrest takes me off the street for half my shift," said former NCOPS President Andy Anderson when he announced his organization's groundbreaking endorsement. "Passage of Question 9 will ensure that more cops are on the streets to protect our citizens from violent crime and the threat of terrorism." Anderson was forced to resign shortly after making this statement. "In one week, Nevada police have gone from Robocop to Keystone cops," NRLE spokesman Billy Rogers told The Week On Line with DRCNet -- http://www.drcnet.org/ -- "NCOPS has totally destroyed the credibility of its organization. People who voted for the endorsement now claim they were confused, but they knew what they were voting for. Some of them have told me that they knew what the initiative does and that they privately still support it. There is no doubt the NCOPS board supported this, but sadly, they succumbed to political pressure." Regardless of the flip-flop, the initiative continues to get positive press and gain popular support. "It's revolutionary. In a state that voted for George W. Bush, support for the initiative is polling at 48%," said Bruce Mirken, Director of Communications at the Marijuana Policy Project. According the requirements of Nevada's system, initiatives need to pass two consecutive elections. If the voters vote "yes" on Question 9 this year, they will need to do it again in 2004. If they vote "yes" a second time, the initiative will become a constitutional amendment, effective January 1, 2005. "Since the state legislator won't be involved for a few years, hopefully in the meantime the federal government will reschedule marijuana," said Nevada state legislator Chris Giunchigliani, who supports the initiative. "The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 passed by Congress makes marijuana a controlled substance," Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Spokesman Will Glaspy told LiP Magazine. "It'll be a crime for anyone to possess marijuana." And if the state of Nevada votes to legalize marijuana? "We don't want to speculate at this point as to what our response will be," Glaspy said, offering assurances the DEA is "educating people on the issue." "The proponents of this initiative are not concerned with minors obtaining marijuana," said Todd Raybuck, narcotics detective for the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, in a telephone interview. "They are only concerned with protecting the supply of marijuana for themselves and so therefore are trying to establish a state run system to provide marijuana for their demand." "That's utter nonsense," counters Mirken. "Studies have shown that in the Netherlands where there is an above ground, regulated distribution system, 1/3 fewer teenagers smoke marijuana than in the U.S. Mr. Raybuck needs to talk less and educate himself more." There have been only three statewide initiatives in the history of the United States that have sought to end marijuana prohibition. In the 1970s, California voters rejected a marijuana initiative by a 2-to-1 margin. In the 1980s, Oregon voters rejected a similar initiative by a 3-to-1 margin. And in November 2000, Alaska voters rejected yet another marijuana initiative. Adds Mirken, "This is the first initiative with a serious chance of passing that would transform how states deal with marijuana." Whether the initiative ultimately passes or fails remains to be seen, but if history tells us anything, it's that the repeal of marijuana prohibition laws faces large, organized, and well-funded opposition. Even in a maverick state like Nevada, which stands alone in its legalization of prostitution, the state's largest police association—NCOPS—has quickly buckled under intense pressure from marijuana prohibition forces on the federal and state level. It is unlikely that NCOPS will rediscover its spine, which leaves the fate of marijuana decriminalization in Nevada solidly in the hands of Nevadans. Author: Valerie Vande Panne is a frequent contributer to High Times and an active board member of Students for Sensible Drug Policy -- http://www.ssdp.org -- and Flex Your Rights -- http://www.flexyourrights.org L i P : Media Dissidence & Uncivil Discourse Since 1996. Complete Title: Sinsemilla in Sin City: Nevada's Effort to Legalize Marijuana Picks Up Steam Source: LiP Magazine (NM) Related Articles & Web Sites: Marijuana Policy Project Vegas Measure Gambles on Marijuana Nevada Ballot Question Would Make Pot Legal Nevada Voters Decide on Legalizing Marijuana Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #2 posted by st1r_dude on August 28, 2002 at 06:59:39 PT |
| "As a former law-enforcement officer, I know that a simple marijuana arrest takes me off the street for half my shift," said former NCOPS President Andy Anderson when he announced his organization's groundbreaking endorsement. "Passage of Question 9 will ensure that more cops are on the streets to protect our citizens from violent crime and the threat of terrorism." Anderson was forced to resign shortly after making this statement. sounds like our cops would rather do easy low-risk work: give speeders tickets (sit on their butt in their cars), arrest relaxed pot smokers...if they fight real crime, they might get hurt...kinda makes me wonder if these "heroes" are just a sheep in wolf's clothing...tough guy wannabees...one pot bust, and they can chill at headquarters for half their shift...easy money, eh ??? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by The GCW on August 27, 2002 at 22:16:47 PT |
| Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). "Dedicated to our brother, Constable Gil Puder, a good cop and a fearless fighter for sensible drug policy." [ Post Comment ] |
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