PRO-MARIJUANA GROUP TAKES ISSUE TO LAWMAKERS

LAS VEGAS -- A group seeking to legalize small amounts of marijuana in
Nevada filed paperwork Tuesday that would compel state lawmakers to take up
the issue during next year's legislative session.

The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana has filed 84,665 signatures
in five counties. They need a minimum of 51,337 signatures of registered
voters to qualify.

"The marijuana regulation initiative makes sense because it gives society
control over marijuana, while our current prohibition policies keep
marijuana completely uncontrolled," Rob Kampia, executive director of the
Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.

Kampia was in Las Vegas to turn in signatures and help promote the Nevada
initiative, which would legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana
by adults in the state.

If the signatures are verified, state lawmakers would have to consider
passing it during the first 40 days of the 2005 session. If they don't, it
automatically goes on the 2006 ballot.

Larry Sandell with the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana said the
group doesn't expect the Legislature to pass the initiative but hopes a
discussion of the issue will help its cause.

"It's important for the Legislature to have this debate before it goes to
the people," Sandell said. "It will help bring more light to the issue and
legitimize it."

The group failed to get the required signatures needed to qualify for the
Nov. 2 ballot. Group officials said the petition would have qualified if a
federal judge had allowed about 2,000 signatures of newly registered voters
whose information had not been immediately forwarded to election registrars.

The committee appealed to the 9th Circuit Court but lost on a 2-1 panel
vote, and their request for a rehearing before the full court was refused.

Nevada voters have approved the use of marijuana for medical reasons but in
2002 overwhelmingly rejected the measure to legalize up to 3 ounces of
marijuana.

The latest plan would increase penalties for providing marijuana to minors
or for causing a fatal accident while driving under the influence of the
substance. Sale of marijuana would be taxed, and revenue would be earmarked
for drug and alcohol treatment and education programs.