MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL POISED FOR PASSAGE

With some of the toughest drug laws in the nation, Nevada 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 session neared, the state Senate voted
15 to 6 to return the medical marijuana-defelonization bill to the
Assembly, where passage by today's scheduled adjournment was certain.

The bill allows seriously ill Nevadans to have as many as 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.