cannabisnews.com: Question 9: Figures Hazy, Ad Says Question 9: Figures Hazy, Ad Says Posted by CN Staff on October 15, 2002 at 08:01:05 PT By Jane Ann Morrison, Review-Journal Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal Advocates for legalizing marijuana start airing a television spot Wednesday that implies three Nevada lawmen are lying about how many joints can be rolled from 3 ounces of marijuana and contends they are overstating the case to mislead voters. The ad features outtakes of Metropolitan Police Department Undersheriff Richard Winget, Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick and Las Vegas police officer Todd Raybuck giving different answers to one question: How much is 3 ounces of marijuana? Gammick says 3 ounces is equivalent to 90 marijuana cigarettes, or joints; Winget says 120, and Raybuck says 250. "Opponents will say anything to scare us into voting against Question 9," the ad concludes. Both sides recognize that most people who do not smoke marijuana have no idea whether 3 ounces of pot is a little or a lot, and that could affect how they vote Nov. 5. Question 9 would amend Nevada's constitution to prohibit prosecution of private use of 3 ounces or less used by adults over 21 in nonpublic locales. To win approval, the question must pass this year and again in two years. At a Monday news conference unveiling the ads, Question 9 supporter Billy Rogers said the measure's opponents "have a long history of not telling the truth." Contacted afterward, Gammick said he was being conservative in his estimate of 90 joints. Acting at Winget's behest, Raybuck, a 10-year veteran, said he rolled out 3 ounces of high-grade marijuana from the Police Department's evidence vault. He was able to roll more than 250 joints. But to demonstrate his point, Rogers placed 250 unfiltered Camel cigarettes in a plastic bag and weighed them. With the result at just over 8 ounces, he said: "That would be a felony." Rogers' logic that 250 Camels would weigh the same as 250 joints does not take into consideration that marijuana is rolled differently depending on the potency. Low-grade pot is rolled in larger sizes than high-potency marijuana, the three law enforcement officials used in the ad said. "It depends on how fat you roll them," Raybuck said. He said the high-grade sample he rolled would sell for as much as $600. Poorer quality marijuana would sell for about a third that price, he said. "These people haven't said the truth since they opened their mouths," Gammick said. Though the ad suggests Gammick's estimate of 90 joints is wrong, Rogers said the Northern Nevada lawman is probably closer to the truth than the others. Patients who use marijuana for medical purposes estimate that 3 ounces would be between 80 to 100 marijuana cigarettes, Rogers said. He challenged the opponents of Question 9 to pull their ads. "If you stop making a mockery of the truth, we'll stop calling you on it," Rogers said. Winget said he underestimated how much 3 ounces would be in an initial interview and said he has been using the 250 figure ever since. Winget, who has been nominated as U.S. marshal for Nevada, said he pulled the 120 figure from an article from National Families in Action, which estimated between 90 to 120 joints could be rolled from 3 ounces of pot. Realizing the number would become an issue, he asked Raybuck, a narcotics detective, to do the experiment. Winget said he is sticking with 250 joints in 3 ounces because "it's the truth." He said, "You can argue how much you put in a cigarette, but so much depends on the grade and refinement of the marijuana used." "The significant issue is that it's a lot of marijuana, and our position is it is way more than one person needs to hold for personal use," Winget said. Gammick said if the question passes and becomes law, "I can toke up in front of my kids in the house, drive to work, go into the privacy of my office and toke all day, get in my car and go home and do it in front of my kids again." Retiring Sheriff Jerry Keller has come out against Question 9. Rogers thinks Keller should adopt the position of White House Drug Czar John Walters. Walters said in an Aug. 14 National Public Radio interview: "The initiative covers possession amounts that are quite small. Usually, there's no federal enforcement of possession amounts at that level, especially for marijuana. So I doubt there would be any change in current federal practice. This is largely a local law enforcement matter at these quantities." Walters last week came to Las Vegas to oppose decriminalization of marijuana, and he said it is a gateway drug that can destroy lives. Keller did not respond to an interview request.Note: Marijuana initiative backers contend officials deceiving voters.Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Author: Jane Ann Morrison, Review-JournalPublished: Tuesday, October 15, 2002Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas Review-JournalContact: letters lvrj.comWebsite: http://www.lvrj.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/An 'Out-of-State' Campaign http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14448.shtmlQuestion 9 Backers Speak Outhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14431.shtmlDrug Czar Says State Faces Liabilityhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14418.shtmlDA's Drug Cartel Remark Angers Initiative Officialhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14379.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by The GCW on October 15, 2002 at 16:23:36 PT I could see it... Someone having a garage full of nicotine cigs. and 4 ounces of the right buds, when all of a sudden they send in the SWATSTIKA, and the dogs... finding the 1 extra ounce. Ready to kill the guy over an ounce, while his basement is also full of nicotine, that doesn't get any attention. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by The GCW on October 15, 2002 at 16:19:53 PT Re-legalized... Treat it with the same respect as the extreamely deadly nicotine. If You can leagaly have a case of the death sticks, then I don't want a urine sucker telling Me I cannot have an equal amount of what is clearly less dangerous.How many nicotine sticks can You have before they send in the SWATSTIKA? [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by delariand on October 15, 2002 at 10:31:20 PT pot problems reply The reason pot is so dry is it's nearing the end of the outdoor growing season. It's times like these where all you can get is indoor grown hydro and brickweed, cause the stock from all the last outdoor grows has run out! Just be patient, another month or so and it should all be harvested :DBTW, out here in california, I haven't smoked anything but green, sticky buds since I started over two years ago. It never goes dry! With weather like this, who needs to worry about a growing season? Maybe you should relocate ;) [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by TroutMask on October 15, 2002 at 10:12:22 PT Urban Myth? "another of my friends told me that they have seen billboards saying "think its dry now? wait till November. -THE DEA" or something like that""The DEA Sign" seems to be one of the greatest urban myths in existence. Some places are even sponsoring contests for anyone who can post a picture of even ONE of these signs. Got a picture? Let me know. I know where to get a reward!I have never seen a post of someone saying "I saw one". It's always "a friend told me..." So for me to believe any exist I say "SHOW ME!"-TM [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by malleus on October 15, 2002 at 10:04:58 PT They did it AGAIN! Remember when Mr. Booker was royally burned because he took his information from LaRouche? Well, they are at it again. Taking information from the National Families in Action is bound to get these guys burned again. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by druid on October 15, 2002 at 09:12:05 PT: boggles the mind Acting at Winget's behest, Raybuck, a 10-year veteran, said he rolled out 3 ounces of high-grade marijuana from the Police Department's evidence vault. He was able to roll more than 250 jointsWow! A cop that can roll joints? Now where and why did he learn to do that? Especially tiny little pinners cos that is what you would have to do to get 250 joints out of 3 oz. Rolling a joint is a lot harder than rolling tobacco that's for sure. Of course everyone rolls different sized joints depending on quality and the number of people smoking. But the fact remains the same regardless of how big or small you roll your joints that 4 packs of cigs is roughly equal to 3 oz. So the fact stands that you could get 80 cigarette sized joints out of 3 oz of weed. Unrelated pokesmotterNot sure where you live but in my town in Idaho it is the same situation. Everything has dried up hardcore. No nice cheap schwag to be found and the tiny bit that is to be found is overpriced slightly better than average with seeds and stemmy green bud($50-1/8), not even chronic. But we have been seing some good BC Bud occasionally which is very nice(dense and full of crystals and sensimilla to boot!). Time to overgrow the country I guess :) Sorry to hear about you getting ripped off. That's the stupid risk we all are forced to take when buying off the black market. I am a college student/staff member and in the past weed has not been at all hard to find. Plenty of college kids dealing their way through school but lately there is no one that is dealing. A few people have "personal" but nothing for sell. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by pokesmotter on October 15, 2002 at 08:37:58 PT: pot problems this is unrelated to the story but something i feel i need to write about. i am a college student who is at home for fall break. weed is hard for me to find at my college because i don't know enough people yet, being a freshman. my problem is when i come home, it seems to get harder and harder to find good bud. Here is what happened this weekend. desperate for weed, a friend of mine knows this guy who had some "good pot". i gave my friend $100 to go buy some. when he came back he says the guy says i only gave him $80, when in fact i am sure i gave $100. i trust my friend but the other guy i do not. so he goes back and ends up bringing back an eighth for my $50 bucks. then he gives me 30 bucks back since i supposedly gave him 80. all in all, i ended up buying an eighth of some not-so-good pot for $70. just now i have realized that the shake in the bag is not the same weed as the buds. The shake tastes like some low grade schwag. does this depress anyone else? also, another of my friends told me that they have seen billboards saying "think its dry now? wait till November. -THE DEA" or something like that. good weed is getting harder for me to find and i don't like it at all. Please give me some feedback or email me about weed thoughts [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 15, 2002 at 08:11:48 PT View Nevada Question 9 TV Commercials They are very good!http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread14448.shtml#9 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment