cannabisnews.com: Nevada Voters Evenly Split on Pot Issue Nevada Voters Evenly Split on Pot Issue Posted by CN Staff on August 05, 2002 at 08:33:36 PT By Steve Timko, Reno Gazette-Journal Source: Reno Gazette-Journal Nevada voters are evenly split on a ballot initiative that would legalize adult possession of 3 ounces or less of marijuana, a new poll shows. But in Reno and Washoe County, a clear majority of residents oppose the legalization of small amounts of marijuana, according to a Reno Gazette-Journal/News 4 poll. The poll of 600 likely voters was conducted in July by Rockville, Md.-based Research 2000. Statewide, 48 percent of Nevadans support the ballot question that takes marijuana beyond medical use approved two years ago; 48 percent oppose it. Four percent were not sure.Opposition rises to 58 percent in Washoe County and 54 percent in Reno, the poll shows.“We think it’s good news,” said Billy Rogers, spokesman for Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, the group pushing the ballot measure. “Based on these results, I think it’s likely we’ll win this election.”Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick, who strongly opposes the measure, expected the issue to have more support in Clark County than the rest of Nevada.“I expect conservatism runs a little more rampant in Washoe County and the cow counties than in Clark County,” Gammick said. “All these people leave California to get away from that kind of stuff, and then when they get here, they want to bring all that stuff with them.”Research 2000 President Del Ali said that, statewide, the issue appears to be a dead heat. There are also very few undecided voters, who traditionally tend to vote against ballot initiatives.Twelve percent of those polled strongly disapprove of the measure compared to 9 percent who strongly support it, noted Ali. Based on those numbers, he thinks the measure will be voted down.Initiative supporters have to spend a lot of money and time to get their campaign right, Ali said. “And they’re going to have to give a real compelling reason why they want 3 ounces of marijuana made legal,” he added.While the marijuana issue had no gender gap, Democrats supported it much more heavily than Republicans and independents, Ali said.Support among medical pot users In 1998 and 2000, Nevada voters approved licensing people who want to use marijuana for medical reasons.Rogers said his group believes law enforcement has better things to do than arrest people for having small amounts of marijuana in their home. The 3 ounces is often associated with medical marijuana use.The proposed law would forbid public use of marijuana and driving while under the influence of marijuana. It would require prison sentences for people who sell marijuana to children.“This protects responsible people and punishes irresponsible people,” Rogers said.Gary Brown, a employee at Hippies pipe and incense shop in Sparks and the 14th person to receive a medical marijuana card in Nevada, said young people are telling him they are registering to vote just so they can support the marijuana question.“I wish the government would lighten up on us,” Brown said. “I consider this to be truth in democracy. This is what this is about, people voting for something they feel is worth voting for.”Brown said he was a Navy corpsman attached to the Marines in Vietnam in April 1967 when he was injured in an ambush and left 70 percent disabled.After Nevada law allowed marijuana use for medical reasons, Brown signed up for the license that says he has a medical need to use medical marijuana. As of July 8, the state had received 186 applications.After work, as he starts relaxing for bed, Brown will take a few puffs of marijuana to cope with the pain, he said. He said the marijuana is a substitute for prescribed medication that makes him groggy.While the latest initiative makes it legal for any adult to have up to 3 ounces of marijuana, Brown notes it also makes the state provide low-cost marijuana for people who have medical needs for it. People with the medical marijuana cards currently can grow up to seven plants at home, but it’s still illegal in Nevada for them to buy marijuana.Brown wishes the proposal only allowed up to 2 ounces for adults because that might get a wider range of support than the proposed 3 ounces.“I think 2 ounces is great,” Brown said. “It would have been an easier number to swallow.”He’s also glad the proposal limits the age to 21, like alcohol, because that will do a better job of keeping it out of the hands of children.“Eighteen is too young. I think 21 is still great,” Brown said.“It is a gateway drug for the younger people,” Brown said of marijuana. “But so is alcohol. Beer is a gateway drug and this state has one of the highest alcoholism rates in the nation.”Officials oppose Gammick said telephone calls he’s getting show people are confused and believe the issue deals with medical marijuana only. It’s to legalize up to 3 ounces for any adult, or as many as 90 marijuana cigarettes, Gammick said.“This is not a small amount of marijuana for personal use,” the district attorney said.Drug Enforcement Administration Director Asa Hutchinson came to Nevada last month and said the initiative, if passed by voters, would encourage teens to experiment with drugs and put Nevada in conflict with federal law.Lisa Eggen of South Lake Tahoe said it is “about time” Nevada looked at making possession of smaller amounts of marijuana legal.“This is a state that has legalized prostitution and gives away alcohol, and yet marijuana possession, until very recently, was a felony,” Eggen said.But Eggen was surprised the latest marijuana proposal has such strong support statewide. She thinks it might be economically driven as people look for something to offer in Nevada that can’t be offered at Indian casinos.Douglas M. Morrin of Reno fears the latest proposal will mean more people on the streets driving dangerously while under the influence of marijuana.“My attitude is that I don’t like drugs, period,” Morrin said. “If they legalize 3 ounces, then they’re going to carry 3 ounces all the time.”Given the rapid growth of Nevada, particularly by people relocated from California, Morrin wasn’t surprised by the support for the ballot question.“Ten years ago I would have said you couldn’t have gotten that passed,” Morrin said.Source: Reno Gazette-Journal (NV)Author: Steve Timko, Reno Gazette-JournalPublished: August 4, 2002Copyright: 2002 Reno Gazette-Journal Website: http://www.rgj.com/Contact: rgjmail nevadanet.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Nevadans Weigh Proposal to Make Marijuana Legalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13610.shtmlMarijuana Drive Would Derail DUI Enforcement http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13594.shtmlState at Front Line in Pot Debatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13513.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by ekim on August 05, 2002 at 19:28:14 PT www.thememoryhole.org/kerry/ Subject: !!! Konformist: Kerry Report The Memory Hole ADVERTISEMENT Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 23:38:25 -0500 Subject: Konformist: Kerry Report The Memory HolePlease forward this message to anyone who would be interested The Memory Hole has started the process of scanning and posting all 4 volumes of the legendary Kerry Report on narco-corruption (aka "Drugs, Law Enforcement and Foreign Policy"), which has served as a touchstone for everyone who investigates the intelligence-drug trafficking nexus.Presently, the plan is to post 20 pages of the report at a time, several times a week. The main section for the Kerry Report is:www.thememoryhole.org/kerry/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Imprint on August 05, 2002 at 14:17:30 PT A little piece of trivia For countless years Reno had a big gateway to the downtown area that said “The Biggest Little City in the World”. It has been featured in many films and photographs. Well, many years ago Reno tore it down and put up a better one (?). This original gateway has been purchased and moved to a little northern California town called Willits. It now says something like “Gateway to the Redwoods”. This is interesting to me because I have friends in Willits. This is a very fertile area in California and I go there often (if you catch my drift). GCW, Believe me, I have talked to my buddies in Nevada and they understand exactly what you advocate. I agree and they agree. My pot smoking piers vote; we have that vote, that’s not a problem. But to breach the subject with non-pot smoking people is scary at best for my friends. My experience with Nevada is that the conservatives dig in, they don’t consider and make a decision, they just plain dig in. But, I do agree this fight might be won on the backs of the young. I hope they do come out in force and register and vote for this. To see this issue win in Nevada would just be sweet for me. A little piece of validation for me. Maybe a little na na na na na for the people that treated me like shit there. Also, I want to make it clear. In my opinion not all folks in Nevada are crap, but the conservatives have enjoyed a ruling majority for a long time. I would love to see it change. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by The GCW on August 05, 2002 at 13:10:39 PT The biggest little city in the west had the 3rd highest rape stats, when I lived there, in Reno, almost 30 years ago.Fact is,imprint,Is that somehow the word should be out:Every young person and all the people that normally do not vote, are exactly the people that WILL help make it happen.It is the cockroach that has come out to persecute Us and now it is time for the beautiful people to step up and get us removed from this persecution.Contact people You know in NV and mention that they vote and mention it to others like chain talk. Be humble and low keyed, with the covertness needed to get the job done, if concerned about scum...(There ARE still others, going out in full bloom, also.)If 1,000 people vote either way for a politician, but 1,200 people vote for the cannabis issue and it passes,We are going to have a clear message.The cannabis Re-legalization movement may see this, with help like Yours, Imprint. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Imprint on August 05, 2002 at 12:27:48 PT Nevada-the hell hole I moved from Nevada 12 years ago. I grew up and graduated high school in Nevada. And I lived and worked in the Washoe and Reno areas. I was denied housing and jobs because of my race while in Nevada. The police have used SWAT tactics for 20 years; I know because they raided my home and the home of many of my friends. Nevada can be a hellhole. This place is so full of classic stereotypes that it isn’t funny. I was one of a very small handful of high school students that weren’t white. Most of these kids were Washoe Indian and if it wasn’t for them I would have been the sole focus for the racist white kids. While in Nevada, I have been called every racist name you could think of. I am of mixed race and these people couldn’t figure out just which offensive name to call me (side note since moving back to California I haven’t been called a single offensive name). The locals hated Californians and since I was from California I took a lot of crap for it. The Washoe Indian’s were only welcome in the Indian bars. The only laundry in my hometown was run by an Asian family. This place was like living in a time warp. This was the Twilit Zone, but real. I know this place and I know just how conservative it can be there. I’m blown away that this pot issue has gotten this far. I still have friends that live and work in this part of Nevada and I wish them the best. I have talked to some of my friends there about this and they are frightened to step forward and say anything to support this issue. They are afraid of what will happen to them if it doesn’t pass but they have exposed them selves. I understand their fear. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by The GCW on August 05, 2002 at 11:30:25 PT A key facet to work on! Young people are registering to vote just so they can support the marijuana question. This is an issue the young or first time voter can identify with. It is a vote that can make a difference in their lives. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by culebra on August 05, 2002 at 11:20:54 PT I can't wait for November This is huge, and I applaud the efforts of dedicated Nevadans to liberalize cannabis laws that used to be some of the worst in the nation. I believe it will pass by a small but sufficient margin....then it is on to court, as the Feds will certainly try some dirty tricks to once again disenfranchise voters. Ah...latest poll results:Approve 70.22 % (250) Disapprove 29.78 % (106) Total votes: 356 [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by p4me on August 05, 2002 at 10:41:32 PT The energized group will win Let us see we have one group that wants pragmatism, fairness, and to be able to harm to no one without going to jail on one side. And on the other side you have a misguided group whose mind is shaped by federal billions of propaganda. Now who do you think is really going to show up and vote on that November Tuesday?I think it is going to be a voting party will people wanting their stash on Monday, to go in ripped and vote the incumbents out of office and vote away their criminality and have a big party when the announcement comes in early saying the initiative has passed by a clear margin.I hate to tell these people that write these articles that this is still America and Wethepeople still like freedom. Just because the fascist Republicans have steered the country toward corporate profits, does not mean we want to go to jail just to protect corporate profits.A great victory awaits us in Nevada in November. We are the energized group and every reformer should want to say "I was there and I voted for freedom and innocence."1,2 [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on August 05, 2002 at 10:04:15 PT John That's great to hear! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by John Tyler on August 05, 2002 at 09:41:35 PT Young voters Young people are registering to vote just so they can support the marijuana question. This is an issue the young or first time voter can identify with. It is a vote that can make a difference in their lives. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by John Tyler on August 05, 2002 at 09:32:34 PT Poll results Would you approve or disapprove of allowing people to keep three ounces of marijuana at home? Approve 68.18 % (180) Disapprove 31.82 % (84) Total votes: 264 Results as of 8/5/2002 12:20 PM EST [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on August 05, 2002 at 09:31:01 PT Thanks GCW! The results so far show.... Would you approve or disapprove of allowing people to keep three ounces of marijuana at home? Approve - 68.48 % -- (176) Disapprove 31.52 % -- (81) Total votes: 257 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on August 05, 2002 at 09:22:33 PT Poll... that I posted 2 threads ago, are from this paper.http://www.rgj.com/opinion/ Would you approve or disapprove of allowing people to keep three ounces of marijuana at home? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment