NEVADA CANDIDATE CALLS FOR MED MJ FUNDING

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: Russo Upset At Guinn Decision Unwillingness To
Fund Program Has One-Time Candidate Mulling Another Run For Governor

CARSON CITY -- Former gubernatorial candidate Aaron Russo said Monday
that Gov. Kenny Guinn's decision not to fund the state's medical
marijuana program may induce him to challenge the governor in next
year's election.

"The people in the state voted on medical marijuana twice and the
governor has denied what the people of Nevada wanted," Russo said.
"Because of the way he is behaving I may run against him. He is
acting more like a king than a governor."

Guinn declined an invitation to comment on Russo's views.

Russo said he was disgusted by comments made last Wednesday by Paul
Iverson, director of the state Department of Agriculture.

Iverson said he did not want Russo to embark on a new television
advertising campaign to raise money to fund the medical marijuana
program. He said he was dismayed because Russo uses the medical
marijuana issue to attack Guinn.

Iverson's agency manages the medical marijuana program that begins
Oct. 1. Under the program, patients with permission of a doctor can
use marijuana to treat symptoms of cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and other
diseases.

Nevada became the ninth state to approve a medical marijuana program
when 65 percent of the voters last November backed a constitutional
amendment creating the program. In the 1998 election, 59 percent of
the voters supported the same question. To change the constitution,
voters must approve ballot questions in two elections.

While Guinn signed a bill in June setting up the medical marijuana
program, he did not put aside $30,000 in his $3.8 billion state
budget to operate the program.

Despite the lack of money, Iverson said his agency will implement the
program, running it with existing staff and using funds designed for
other agriculture programs.

"We are going to take care of it with existing staff," Iverson said.
"It is no different than any other unfunded mandate. We encourage
donations, but we are going to make it work with what we have."

Russo said he strongly differs with Iverson's interpretation that the
medical marijuana program is another unfunded mandate.

"This is beyond an unfunded mandate," he said. "It is a
constitutional law. How can you vote for a governor who doesn't
listen to the will of the people? The people wanted medical
marijuana. It is the law of the land."

Russo said he smoked marijuana earlier in his life and has "no shame
about it." He said there are many people like him and that Guinn "is
a dinosaur."

Despite Iverson's wish he not raise funds to run the medical
marijuana program, Russo said he will go ahead with fund-raising and
eventually present a check to the Agriculture Department. He said he
received many calls from supporters willing to pay for the medical
marijuana program when he ran a series of television ads this spring.