GROUND ZERO - WHO NEEDS THE WEED?

Political buffoonery on both sides of the issue

(Editor's note: As of this writing, the Legislature had not yet approved
marijuana for medicinal use.)

Forget the sublime. Nevada pot politics are just plain stuck in the
realm of the ridiculous. Two weeks ago, Aaron "I'm a wild-n-crazy
Libertarian kinda guy" Russo, tossed his tanned California ass into the
fray, upping the ante on absurdity.

Appearing in television ads that feature an up-close shot of his
grinning face, Russo tells viewers he's willing to pay the $30,000
necessary to fund the medical marijuana bill passed by the state
Assembly (AB453) but left unfunded in Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget. Like a
cat that ate the canary, former gubernatorial candidate Russo reaches
out to Nevadans who support legalization of medical marijuana and feels
the pain of those who are suffering but are denied access to state
sanctioned weed. With about as much sincerity as JJ, King of Beepers,
Russo's offer of financial support for starting up the program leaves
him and Guinn both looking just plain silly.

Guinn explains his refusal to put the $30,000 startup fees into his
budget by saying that we're in a budget crunch and that medical
marijuana programs are going to be shut down by the Feds anyway.

Hmmm ... one has to wonder.

Since Guinn thinks we have enough cash to throw millions into Richard
"so-I-had-a-few-ethical-challenges-when-I
ran-the-Community-College,-I-want-my-own-four-year-state college!"
Moore's wet-dream, Henderson State College, it's difficult to understand
how a medical marijuana initiative that was supported by 65 percent of
Nevada voters is too expensive.

With a $30,000 price tag, the medical marijuana startup program's a
regular Blue-Light Special. Hell, it's the happy hour pricing of
government programs. Think of it this way: Spending $30,000 out of the
state budget is the rough equivalent of less than $3 out of the wallet
of a person with a $50,000 income. If you could forego $3 that you might
otherwise spend at Starbuck's, or on a beer, or on a video rental so
that even one seriously ill friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker
could find some relief through the use of legally regulated, prescribed
marijuana, wouldn't you do it? Apparently Guinn wouldn't, and he's
betting you wouldn't want him to.

As for Guinn's concern that our $30,000 might be wasted because the
federal government may intervene and ban the medical marijuana program,
I'm left checking my address. Last time I looked, we were still in
Nevada. The Silver State isn't exactly known for sucking-up to the D.C.
establishment. We believe in libertarian ideals, "live and let live"
ethics, and the preservation of Wild West traditions like cowboy poetry
and legalized whorehouses. Who can forget Nevada's long historic
wrangling with the feds over the right to gamble ourselves into
addiction and debt? There's a reason that in most parts of the state
alcohol flows freely 24/7, 365 days a year, while Utah is all but dry:
states' rights and state governance.

Going against the will of the voters by not funding Assemblywoman Chris
Giunchigliani's AB453 because Guinn's afraid of the Feds puts the little
five-leafed devil in the same category as Yucca Mountain: When it comes
to medical marijuana or the nation's nuclear waste, Guinn seems impotent
in the face of the Feds. In short, Guinn's sob story about being too
broke to fund medical marijuana and too nervous of federal intervention
is simply ridiculous.

The governor's not the only one wearing the dunce cap. Russo's obnoxious
public display betrays his "charity" for what it really is: a cheap
attempt to shame Guinn and buy his way into the media spotlight and the
hearts of voters. Russo's resurfacing just as the legislative session
nears its close is surely a cry for help: Help! I want to run for
governor! I'm better than he is! I'll give you guys $30,000 for medical
marijuana! Look at me!

We're left facing the fact that we've got a governor who's too wimpy to
defend our state's right to establish the medical marijuana program that
voters asked for. Instead of just saying "No," Guinn's
passive-aggressive refusal to budget $30,000 for the program, despite
all the other pork projects he's funding, has paved the way for Russo,
the huckster who's going to buy Nevadans the program--but who'll never
let us forget his gift.

In the midst of all the Cheech-'n'-Chong absurdity, one point seems to
have gone up in smoke. In scientific studies and among all kinds of
seriously ill people, marijuana has been effective as a pain remedy and
appetite stimulant.

That this humane reality has been lost in both Guinn and Russo's
politicking is further proof of one thing: You sure as hell don't have
to be stoned to be a blockhead.