MEDICINAL MARIJUANA: FUNDING TO RUN PROGRAM LACKING

State Has Received Just $771 In Donations To Date; $30,000 A Year Needed

CARSON CITY -- Applications to use marijuana medicinally have been
printed, and registry cards will be issued to qualifying patients
beginning Oct. 1. But without financial support from the public,
Nevada's medical marijuana program could go broke.

So far just $771 in donations has been raised for the state Department
of Agriculture to operate the program.

Ed Foster, the Agriculture Department spokesman in Reno who manages the
medical marijuana program, said his agency needs about $30,000 a year to
run a program that eventually could allow 1,000 patients with
debilitating illnesses to grow their own marijuana.

He has one part-time worker helping him. Much of the money would pay for
entering information on users into computers, for printing costs and for
the registration cards that will be issued by the Department of Motor
Vehicles. The cards are free to patients.

"We cannot charge anything," said Foster of the recently passed law that
implements a voter-approved constitutional amendment making Nevada the
ninth state to allow sick people to use marijuana. "We are operating
completely by donations."

Though the program will launch, Foster said, whether it will continue
will have to be evaluated if funding isn't found.

Gov. Kenny Guinn did not include costs of operating the medical
marijuana program in his $3.8 billion budget for 2001-03.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, put the $30,000 cost in
the enabling legislation, but then removed the money when it became
apparent the bill might fail if there was a cost to the state
government.

Former gubernatorial candidate Aaron Russo pledged in May to cover the
$30,000 cost and promptly ran advertisements blasting Guinn for omitting
the funds.

But to date Russo has not honored his pledge. He said Thursday he
thought the $30,000 had been included in the final version of the bill.

"This is the first I have heard that the money wasn't there," Russo
said. "Believe me, I will raise the money like I said I would."

Russo first wants more information from the Agriculture Department that
the money must be raised or the program will be cut.

Russo added that he thinks Guinn deliberately withheld operating money
because he opposes medical marijuana. In November's election, 381,947
people supported the medical marijuana ballot question, compared with
223,892 who voted for Guinn in the 1998 election.

"Guinn didn't want medical marijuana when I ran for governor (against
Guinn)," Russo said. "This is not about $30,000. We are talking about
spit."

The governor declined to respond to Russo's comment. Regardless of any
personal reservations, Guinn signed the bill into law June 15.

Foster said the Agriculture Department will send medical marijuana
application forms to doctors starting in August. Doctors should contact
the Agriculture Department in Reno if they want forms.

Under the law, patients with AIDS, cancer, glaucoma and other illnesses
need a statement from their physicians that they have their permission
to use marijuana. The state law, patterned after Oregon's, allows
qualified patients, or someone they designate, to grow no more than
seven plants, of which only three can be mature.

The state will not advise people which doctors approve patients to use
marijuana. Foster imagines that such information quickly will be spread
by word of mouth in support groups for victims of cancer, AIDS and other
diseases.

"When Oregon started (in 1998) for the first three months, not one
doctor signed onto it," Foster said. "Then one of the top neurologists
said medical marijuana was beneficial, and within six months 220 doctors
supported it."

Doctors do not sign a medical marijuana prescription, only give written
recommendations that the patients have their permission to use medical
marijuana.

After receiving the application forms back from doctors, the Agriculture
Department will contact the patients and seek more information. The
department will then run a criminal history check to determine whether
the person has been involved in any drug crimes. The state also wants to
know where the marijuana will be grown.

The information on qualified patients will be forwarded to the motor
vehicles department. Then patients can acquire a registry card that will
look much like a driver's license.

The Agriculture Department also will not give patients tips on where to
acquire seeds or how to grow marijuana. There also are many Web sites
where people can buy seeds, often at prices of $150 for just 10 seeds.
Marijuana plants need three months to six months to mature, so he
imagines most patients will grow their crops indoors under grow lights.

The agency will give patients a list of Web sites and telephone numbers
of groups that might help them with marijuana questions.

Colleagues now jokingly refer to Foster as "Hey Dude" and "Mr.
Marijuana." He had reservations about the benefits of medical marijuana,
but now has been convinced patients should be permitted to use whatever
they feel makes them better.

"I hope the stigma goes away that this is a left-handed attempt to
legalize drugs," he said. "If your Mom or Dad is ill, you will do
whatever you can to help them. We cannot lose sight of the fact that a
great many people in this state are for this."