MEDICAL MARIJUANA, DEFELONIZATION NEARS APPROVAL IN NEVADA

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Nevada, with some of the toughest drug laws
in the nation, is on the verge of allowing medical marijuana and
defelonizing possession of small amounts of the illegal weed.

As the end of the 2001 legislative neared, the state Senate voted 15-6
Sunday to return the medical marijuana-defelonization bill, AB453, to
the Assembly for concurrence in upper house amendments.

Final approval in the lower house by Monday's scheduled adjournment
was certain since the Assembly passed the original measure earlier and
the sponsor of the bill says the changes are fine with her.

"I'm thrilled that the Senate amended the bill yet kept the intent and
the will of the poeple," said Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las
Vegas.

"I think it's time that Nevada closed the door on antiquated drug
policies and reduced possession of an ounce or less to a misdemeanor
and focused its efforts on prevention and treatment."

AB453 lets seriously ill Nevadans have up to seven marijuana plants
for personal use. Also, a person with an ounce or less of marijuana
could be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $600.

A second offense would result in a higher fine and assignment to a
treatment or rehabilitation program. Third-time offenders would be
charged with a gross misdemeanor and have to pay an even steeper fine.

The Senate amended the bill to add felony charges on a fourth or
subsequent case of marijuana possession.

Other amendments allow the state to apply to the federal government
for permission to conduct a research program in which doctors would
try to see whether marijuana helped ease pain, nausea or other
symptoms. Also, the state Department of Agriculture could apply to the
federal government for a seed lab.

The bill also would create a state registry for all patients whose
doctors recommend they use marijuana for medical reasons.

Nevadans voted overwhelmingly in 1998 and 2000 to amend the Nevada
Constitution to authorize use of marijuana by those suffering from
cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and other painful and potentially terminal illnesses.

The task of implementing the voters' mandate was left to the
Legislature. The lawmakers took action despite a recent U.S. Supreme
Court ruling that a federal law classifying the drug as illegal makes
no exception for ill patients.

The high court's action leaves those distributing the drug for that
purpose open to prosecution

Besides Nevada, voters in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado,
Maine, Oregon and Washington have approved ballot initiatives allowing
medical marijuana. In Hawaii, the legislature passed a similar law and
the governor signed it last year.