YOUR TURN: WHAT ARE THE FACTS ABOUT QUESTION 9?

United States Drug Czar John Walters has called Question 9 "a great con"
due to all of the misleading and false information that has been
disseminated by the proponents of this bill who would have Nevada voters
believe that:

* Question 9 pertains solely to the simple possession of a small amount of
marijuana.

* Question 9 allows people to smoke only in the privacy of their own home.

* Question 9 has no adverse effect on Nevada DUI laws.

* Question 9 is a "medical marijuana" bill exclusively.

* Marijuana is a safe substance and it is no big deal to smoke it.

* The initiative is a homegrown idea and it is Nevadans against the federal
government.

The facts show that Question 9 calls for the Legislature to "provide a
system of regulation for the cultivation, taxation, sale and distribution
of marijuana" in an amount not to exceed 3 ounces, which will produce from
90 to 120 cigarettes o not a small amount.

The facts are that Question 9 only prohibits the smoking of marijuana in a
public place or a vehicle. That allows a smoker to use marijuana in any
private place, such as an office.

The facts are that Question 9 only prohibits a person from "driving
dangerously" while under the influence of marijuana. This adds another
element to the Nevada DUI law and makes it harder, if not impossible, to
enforce.

The facts are that Question 9 decriminalizes (legalizes) up to 3 ounces of
marijuana and only makes one minor change to the current "medical
marijuana" law.

The facts show marijuana as being a dangerous, addictive gateway drug with
tremendous social impacts, none of them positive. Marijuana is a Schedule I
controlled substance, which is defined as having a high potential for abuse
and has no accepted medical use in treatment or lacks accepted safety for
use in treatment under medical supervision. The American Medical
Association (AMA) and the Nevada Health Department have both taken a
position against legalizing marijuana, calling marijuana a "clear and
present danger to the public safety and health."

In 1999, 225,000 Americans entered substance-abuse treatment primarily for
marijuana dependence, second only to heroin. A two-month survey of the
Washoe County Adult Drug Court revealed that 84 percent of the attendees
started with marijuana, and of those 74 percent were 15 or younger.

The facts show that Question 9 was proposed as part of the Marijuana Policy
Project based in Washington, D.C., and that spokesman Billy Rogers, a
non-Nevadan, is a full-time paid representative of that organization. Three
out-of-state millionaires have spent more than $1 million on Question 9,
with a total of over $20 million to legalize drugs. Their stated purpose is
to legalize drugs so users will not face criminal prosecution, regardless
of the adverse impact on our children and society in general.

The question comes down to whether you want your doctor, dentist, police
officer, school bus driver or (fill in the blank) to be able to legally
smoke marijuana knowing it is a dangerous drug that adversely effects
judgment, functioning and health? Haven't we learned from the misuse of
alcohol and tobacco? How many more Nevadans need to be killed on our
highways or die from long-term illnesses?

Vote, and vote no on question 9.